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46. Department of State Bulletin, December 1983, p. 41.

47. Ibid., p. 44 (emphasis added).

48. Weekly radio speech, cited in Washington Post, 8 February 1984, p. A21.

49. Department of State Bulletin, September 1982, p. I; Report of the DOD Commission on Beirut International Airport Terrorist Act, October 23,1983, 20 December 1983 (hereafter cited as Long Commission Report).

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95. New York Times, 11 March 1984, p. 1, 6.

96. Long Commission Report, pp. 39–40, 87–92.

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102. Congressional Quarterly, 1982 Almanac, p. 168.

103. New York Times, 30 September 1983, p. 1.

104. On 26 September 1983, 40% of respondents agreed that the American troops should be removed from Lebanon. A poll taken 27 October, only four days after the bombing, found only 37% favoring a troop withdrawal. But by January 1984, the total had jumped to the even higher level of 49%; National Journal, 3 December 1983, p. 2548 and 7 April 1984, p. 682.

105. In this vein, George lays out five rules for rational foreign policy decision-making: begin with sufficient information about the specific situation at hand; assess the full range of values and interests at all likely to be affected; consider a wide range of possible policy options and evaluate the probable consequences of each; try to anticipate likely problems of policy implementation and other possible problems; and “maintain receptivity to indications that current policies are not working out well, and cultivate an ability to learn from experience.” Presidential Decisionmaking in Foreign Policy: The Effective Use of Information and Advice (Boulder: Westview Press, 1980), p. 10Google Scholar.

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109. With respect to the Philippines, the question remains open as to whether the government of President Corazon Aquino will be able to create the political, economic, social, and military conditions for enduring political stability. To the extent that it cannot do so, the ten to twenty years for which the logic of global commitments contributed to a pro-Marcos policy may, once again, help explain policy failure. Clearly, the case of the Philippines merits further research.

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