To the editor:

Regarding the Israeli response to the daily Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli cities, which began before and helped to trigger the current response, I think it is useful to recall the United States’ own history with Hezbollah.

1983 – Hezbollah bombings in Beirut kill 241 U.S. servicemen serving as peacekeepers and 63 U.S. Embassy personnel.

1984 – Hezbollah tortures and murders CIA station chief in Lebanon William Buckley.

1985 – Hezbollah hijacks TWA Flight 847 and tortures and murders Navy diver Robert Stethem then throws his body onto the runway.

1988 – Hezbollah kidnaps, tortures and murders Lt. Col. William Higgins, an American U.N. peacekeeper. Hezbollah dumps what’s left on a street in Beirut for his family to see on TV.

1996 – Hezbollah bombs the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. servicemen.

Since then, according to the 9-11 Commission’s final report, Hezbollah has been active in working with al-Qaida. And I think everyone knows what al-Qaida is about.

You hadn’t forgotten, had you?

Gary Henry,

Lawrence