Air Power and the War on Terror: Operation El Dorado Canyon

We Americans are slow to anger. We always seek peaceful avenues before resorting to the use of force-and we did. We tried quiet diplomacy,

public condemnation, economic sanctions, and demonstrations of military

force. None succeeded. Despite our repeated warnings, Ghadafi

continued his reckless policy of intimidation, his relentless pursuit of

terror. He counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong.

President Ronald Reagan

April, 1986

Why did Europe show reluctance?

Background to events

Air Power and the War on Terror:

Operation El Dorado Canyon

Europeans were difficult allies due to trade:

•Britain $800 5,000 british workers

•France $986 million 5% France'soil imported

•Spain $1.26 billion 80% natural gases from Libya

•West German 2.88 billion (Libya's second largest)

•Italy $4 billion, 4000 workers (Libya's largest)

America's Options

1981

1969

1972

1986

1981 – Reagan launches a Freedom-of-Navigation exercise in the Gulf. Two Libyan Su-22s fighters unsuccessfully attack two US F-14s.

1972 Munich Olympic Massacre

1969 – Moammar Ghadafi heads a coup and becomes the leader of Libya

Believed in the use of terrorism

Revoloutionary ideas about the arab world

Decline in US/Libya Relationship

1986 – A bomb detonates in La Belle Club, Berlin. Irrefutable evidence links Ghadafi to the attack.

vs

America feels forced to respond to Libya.

Operation El Dorado Canyon was a 12 minute US air campaign against Libya in response to it's state sponsored terrorism. It's primary goals were political, it was a retaliation to over 3,000 state sponsored terrorist attacks and aimed to demonstrate terrorism was not a valid policy option, and those who supported it were vulnerable.

Gaddafi had funded the attacks as well as having provided economic assistance, weapons and training to terrorists groups such as the PLO and IRA

1985 – Terrorist Abu Nidal, supported by Ghadafi, attack ticket desks in Vienna and Rome airports.

20 dead (5 America)

1973

• Continue applying economic sanctions to Libya and encouraging Europe to follow suit.

• Cruise Missile strikes from US Navy Battleships.

• Special Forces teams to be flown in by helicopters to conduct the raids.

• Land and Sea based Air power strikes.

1985

The US supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Ghadafi responded by declaring the Gulf of Sidra to be Libya’s international waters.

The US was determined to challenge excessive sea claims and a violation of international law

The Operation

The Targets

15th April 1986: 19:13pm (Libyan Time)

Structure of the Presentation

Aims of

Operation El Dorado Canyon

- Murrat Sidi Bilal Terrorist Training Camp

- Tripoli Military airfield

- Benghazi Military Barracks

- Azizyah Barracks

- Benina Military Airfield

• Predominantly psychological, more political than military.

• Wanted demonstrate America’s reach and resolve in order to coerce Ghadafi, and other states, into not using terrorism as a foreign policy tool.

Death of Ghadafi?

One of the targeted compounds did have a known residence of Ghadafi within it, he was not a target.

• Background and events that led up to the 1986 Campaign

• American Policy Options

• The Operation

• International Response

• Was it a Success?

• Questions

Although Reagan did note that Ghadafi’s death would have been a nice side note.

• To diminish his ability to support terrorism; although the raid would only be a dent on his capabilities.

• Foster support for a popular uprising against Ghadafi in Libya.

Was the Operation a Success?

The build up to and the 12 minute air campaign

1913hrs (Libya time) – The USAF force leaves RAF Lakenheath on route to Libya.

0000hrs – US Navy Air forces begin launching from the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, 150 miles North of Libya

0200hrs – Time-on-Target for all strike forces over their targets.

The USAF struck the Tripoli targets, the Navy struck Benghazi targets.

US strike aircraft were supported by electronic warfare, air-to-air and air-to-ground aircraft to suppress Ghadafi’s air defences – only one US aircraft was lost.

Within 12 minutes the raid was over and the aircraft began returning home

A success!

International and Domestic Response

Not a success?

• The Lockerbie bombings in 1988 demonstrate that it didn’t teach Ghadafi an enduring lesson.

• The Prunckun report did note an increase in terrorist attacks in the immediate aftermath.

• Ghadafi didn't stop, just concealed activities

• It failed to inspire an uprising against Ghadafi.

• Some civilian casualties

• The combined Air Force-Navy raid resulted in 130 civilian casualties with 37 killed

• Reagan noted after the event how Ghadafi had “quieted down”

• A statistical analysis conducted by Henry Prunckun in 1994 showed that there

was a decrease in terrorist activity following the raid.

• American intelligence observed a decrease in Libyan communication to agents known to have links to terrorism

• The targets struck were damaged and would have hindered Ghadafi’s ability to support terrorism to an extent.

• It also “shocked” Europeans into developing a tougher stance against terrorism.

• The US was generally supported for its actions; few Arab leaders gave much sympathy to Ghadafi

Arab countries

• Saudi Arabia and Jordan
• Egypt

Europe

• Britain
• France
• German
• NATO

Russia

Conclusion?

El Dorado Canyon did not end terrorism, but it couldn’t be expected to. However, it does appear have a positive effect on reducing terrorism, although, it can only be considered a short term effect. American fulfiled it primary political goals and kept the targetting and casualties in proportion

"Perhaps the final lesson to be learned from Operation EL DORADO CANYON is that states that sponsor terrorism have vulnerabilities that can be exploited. States, such as Libya, can be coerced or punished by striking assets they value" (Phinney, 2003)

To what extent are short air campaigns suitable to the long term goal of preventing terrorism?

Is Operation El Dorado Canyon only a success in the context of state sponsored terrorism?

Was the operation more of a demonstration of ability and response to domestic pressure rather than an active attempt to end terroism?

Questions....

Lessons Learned?

The Importance of Air Power?