In 1986 Washington asked permission to use British airbases in order to bomb Libya in retaliation for the 1986 West Berlin discotheque bombing by Libyan terrorists that killed two U.S. servicemen . The British cabinet was opposed and Thatcher herself was worried it would lead to widespread attacks on British interests in the Middle East . That did not happen , and instead Libyan terrorism fell off sharply . Furthermore , although British public opinion was highly negative , Britain won widespread praise in the United States at a time when Spain and France had vetoed American requests to fly over their territories
1986 West Berlin discotheque bombing
1986 West Berlin discotheque bombing
Special Relationship