Thatcher tried to deter Reagan from retaliation on Lebanon

Margaret Thatcher tried to dissuade US president Ronald Reagan from taking military action against Lebanon following the bombing of a US marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983 by referring to her own experiences in Northern Ireland.

“I am frankly apprehensive about the retaliatory action you propose,” she told Reagan. “In such circumstances leaders find themselves in a lonely position and I want to let you have my frank views as someone who has been in a similar situation.

“We have had many outrages in Northern Ireland and over one thousand deaths to our forces there, but we have always concentrated on hunting out those criminals directly responsible, avoiding wider retaliatory acts.”