"Our fumbling government's response since Beirut - during both Republican and Democratic administrations - has been to cut and run, or to flat ignore this growing threat, apparently hoping it would go away"

This quote by David Hackworth is describing the federal government's action to the growing danger of terrorism since the battle of Beirut in 1983. Hackworth is criticizing the government for their absence of action in addressing this threat, recommending that they have either picked to ignore it or to quickly pull back from it. He indicates that both Republican and Democratic administrations have been guilty of this, suggesting that the federal government's action has actually been insufficient and inadequate. This quote highlights the requirement for a more proactive method to terrorism, one that is not based upon avoidance or retreat, but rather on actively facing and attending to the hazard.