This Day in History: 18 April 2020
18 April 1983
37 years ago, today, the US embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, was nearly completely destroyed by a suicide bomber, resulting in the deaths of 63 people, including the bomber and 17 Americans. The attack was carried out in protest of the US military presence in Lebanon. 8 years prior, a civil war had erupted in Lebanon, as Palestinians and leftist Muslims battled militias of the Christian Phalange Party, the Maronite Christian Community, and other groups. For the next few years, Syria, Israel and the United Nations attempted to intervene, but this failed. On August 20, 1982, US Marines landed in Beirut to oversee the withdrawal of Palestinian forces.
The Marines did leave Beirut on September 10, but returned over 2 weeks later, after the massacre of Palestinian refugees by a Christian group. The next day, the first US Marine died on the mission while defusing a bomb, and on this day, the US embassy in Beirut was bombed. In October, Lebanese terrorists evaded security measure as they drove a truck with explosives into the US Marine barracks in Beirut, murdering 241. 52 French soldiers were also killed at the same time, in a different terrorist attack. President Ronald Raegan later announced the withdrawal of US forces, and on February 26, 1984, the last US Marines left Beirut.
Want to find out more about the US Embassy attack? Click here for more information.
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