The Aftermath of the Achille Lauro

The President, I believe, did the right thing in ordering American fighters to force down the Egyptian airliner and deliver the four hijackers of the Achille Lauro--the murderers of an American citizen--to justice. It was an opportunity that we could not afford to miss. The handling of the aftermath, however, has been terrible. We humiliated a friend. We bashed an ally. We snatched diplomatic disaster from the jaws of rare victory against terrorists. And despite current efforts to repair the damage, we remain pugnacious in mood, mistaken in the belief that by applying bold military force and bullying reluctant governemnts to action, we can defeat terrorism.