I recall the IRA was framed differently from within the USA. It was a religious thing. Like some kind of continuation of the American Revolution, or some insanity like that. It also probably justified US meddling elsewhere in the world to similar effect. Gaddafi’s supply of arms is exactly the same kind of thing as the US did in many other places. So labeling that activity terrorist in the media might be politically inconvenient in the USA. It is only terrorism if you’re the country on the receiving end, freedom fighters on the other, and political calculus from outside.
I recall the IRA was framed differently from within the USA. It was a religious thing. Like some kind of continuation of the American Revolution, or some insanity like that. It also probably justified US meddling elsewhere in the world to similar effect. Gaddafi’s supply of arms is exactly the same kind of thing as the US did in many other places. So labeling that activity terrorist in the media might be politically inconvenient in the USA. It is only terrorism if you’re the country on the receiving end, freedom fighters on the other, and political calculus from outside.