The 1983 Beirut barracks bombings happened on Sunday morning, October 23, 1983, in Beirut. Beirut was accommodating the United States and French military groups of the National Force positioned in Lebanon to provide peacemaking operations during the 1983 Civil War. The United States Marines were a group of multinational military group sent to Lebanon in 1982 to superintend the removal of Palestine from Lebanon (Levitt, 2013). The operation was associated with significant issues that caused suffering among Palestinians. The natives and terror groups did not want Palestinians to separate from Lebanon. The attack was well organized because the attacker drove an automobile and packed it with dangerous explosives into the United States Marine barracks in Beirut. Post-attack inspection revealed that the attacker drove a truck with 2,000 IBS of explosives to the U.S. Marine barrack into the building and detonated.
The attack murdered 241 U.S. military personnel, including 220 Marines. The same day in the morning, 58 French military personnel were attacked and bombed in another station approximately a few miles away from where the United States marine terrorist attack took place (Levitt, 2013). The attack was organized, initiated and executed by Islamic Jihad Lebanese terrorist after various peacemaking groups like the United Nations, Syria and Israel intervened to end the Palestinian and leftist Muslim guerrilla wars against the Christian community. The attack was launched by Lebanese terror groups to discourage the United States, France and other international bodies United Nation from engaging in the Lebanese civil wars. The October 23, 1983 attack was preceded by three spectacular attacks targeting the United States interests for 18 months, which deteriorated between Lebanon and the U.S. for an extended period (Levitt, 2013). On April 18, 1983, American Embassy in Lebanon was bombarded, murdering 63 occupants, including 17 Americans. The incident continued to create a rift between the United States and Lebanon until the October 23, 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon.
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Why 1983 Attack is a Terror Attack
A terrorist attack refers to the intentional use of force or an accepted method to cause violence or destruction to a particular or targeted group. The 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon is considered a terror attack because the incidence aimed to destroy the United States’ marine barracks to divert their attention from their primary mission in Lebanon (Norton, 2018). The incident ultimately destroyed the whole barracks, which was a significant loss because properties of high value were destroyed beyond recognition.
Terrorist attacks usually happen due to disagreements between two groups of people with diverse ideologies and aspirations. Similarly, the 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon is considered a terrorist attack because it prolonged disagreements between the Lebanese and international groups like the United States, United Nations, Syria, and Israel (Norton, 2018). Lebanese were opposing Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon, and the U.S. Marines and French military were overseeing the process. As a result, Lebanese terror attackers initiated the attack to cause fear and tension among the two groups.
Furthermore, the 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon led to the loss of many lives. The attack killed 241 U.S. military service members, including 220 Marines. Also, 58 French soldiers were killed in their barracks nearly two miles away from where the United States marine terrorist attack happened (Norton, 2018). Terrorist attacks are associated with loss of lives, injuries, and mass fear among survivors and neighbors. Even though terrorist group attacked French military as well, their aim target was the United States Marine forces.
Responsible Group for 1983 Attack on the Marine Barracks in Lebanon
A militant Shiite Muslim aligned with Syria and Iran is suspected to be responsible for the 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon. Later after the attack, a Lebanese radio station announced that Shiite Muslim was responsible for the two barracks attack in Beirut. A group known as Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon (Soussi, 2018). The main motive for the attack was to force American and French marine and military out of Lebanon. Due to constant disagreements, wars and oppression of the Palestinians, international groups like the United States, Syria, Israel, and the United States intervened to withdraw Palestinians from Lebanon to end the disagreements. However, the Lebanese opposed the intervention that led to bombing the U.S and French barracks in Beirut to discourage them from continuing with military operations (Soussi, 2018). The terror group hoped that the 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon would cause fear or make international communities reverse their concerns about Palestinians.
The United States’ response to the 1983 attack on the Marine Barracks in Lebanon
The attack was a shock to many, including the United States. The then United States President Ronald Reagan condemned the attacks and termed them despicable acts. However, the president affirmed that the United States government would keep military and marine in Lebanon despite the attack. The U. S. defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger reinstated that the United States will not reverse or change Lebanon’s military policy until the intended mission is achieved (Soussi, 2018). The United States did not launch any severe retaliatory attack for Beirut Marines barracks that killed more than the 241American marine military. In a nutshell, the 1983 attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon was a surprising incident that caused over 241 deaths.
References
Norton, A. R. (2018). Resistance, Terrorism, and Violence in Lebanon. In Hezbollah (pp. 58-82). Princeton University Press.
Levitt, M. (2013, October 23). The origins of Hezbollah . The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/10/the-origins-of-hezbollah/280809/
Soussi, A. (2018, October 23). 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, through the lens of a camera . Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/10/23/1983-beirut-barracks-bombing-through-the-lens-of-a-camera
