The American had commandeered a Marine tank and a loudspeaker.  Pulling up to the gate leading to the Moslem section of Beirut he had the tank’s 90mm gun pointed into the quarter.  He announced through an interpreter that those who had taken the Marines hostage had three minutes to release them, their jeep… and …

Twelve men wearing US Army uniforms, armed with US weapons and riding in black GMC Suburbans passed through three Iraqi security checkpoints in Karbala Iraq.  Upon entering the compound of the joint Iraqi-American headquarters, the group moved with precision and purpose.  They attacked a US HMMWV guarding the entrance mortally wounding one soldier and taking …