1983 — Oct 23, Terrorism, Marine Corps Barracks truck bomb, Beirut, Lebanon — 241
— 241 CNN. “Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing Fast Facts.” 11-2-2016 update.
–220 Marines
— 21 Other U.S. Service personnel.
— 241 DOD. Report of the DOD Commission on Beirut Int. Airport Terrorist Act. 1983, p. vi.
Narrative Information
DOD Commission Report Preface: “On 23 October 1983, a truck laden with the equivalent of over 12,000 pounds of TNT crashed through the perimeter of the compound of the U.S. contingent of the Multinational Force at Beirut International Airport, Beirut, Lebanon, penetrated the Battalion Landing Team Headquarters building and detonated. The force of the explosion destroyed the building resulting in the deaths of 241 U.S. military personnel.” (p. vi.)
DOD Commission Report Executive Summary Background section: U.S. military forces were inserted into Lebanon on 29 September 1982 as part of a Multinational Force composed of U.S., French, Italian and, somewhat later, British Forces. The mission of the U.S. contingent of the Multinational Force (USMNF) was to establish an environment that would facilitate the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Lebanon and to assist the Lebanese Government and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in establishing sovereignty and authority over the Beirut area. Initially, the USMNF was warmly welcomed by the local populace. The environment was essentially benign and continued that way into the spring of 1983. The operation was intended to be of short duration.
“The destruction of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on 18 April 1983 was indicative of the extent of the deterioration of the political/military situation in Lebanon that had occurred since the arrival of the USMNF. By August 1983, the LAF were engaged in direct conflict with factional militias and USMNF positions at Beirut International Airport began receiving hostile fire. Attacks against the Multinational Force in the form of car bombs and sniper fire increased in frequency. By September, the LAF were locked in combat for control of the high ground overlooking Beirut International Airport and U.S. Naval gunfire was used in support of the LAF at Suq-Al-Gharb after determination by the National Security Council that LAF retention of Suq-Al-Gharb was essential to the security of USMNF positions at Beirut International Airport.
“Intelligence support for the USMNF provided a broad spectrum of coverage of possible threats. Between May and November 1983, over 100 intelligence reports warning of terrorist car bomb attacks were received by the USMNF. Those warnings provided little specific information on how and when a threat might be carried out. From August 1983 to the 23 October attack, the USMNF was virtually flooded with terrorist attack warnings.” (pp. 3-4.)
Sources
CNN. “Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing Fast Facts.” 11-2-2016 update. Accessed 2-12-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/world/meast/beirut-marine-barracks-bombing-fast-facts/
DOD Commission on Beirut International Airport Terrorist Act of 23 October 1983. Report of the DOD Commission on Beirut International Airport Terrorist Act, October 23, 1983. Washington, DC: DOD, Dec 20, 1983, 147 pages. Accessed 2-12-2017 at: https://fas.org/irp/threat/beirut-1983.pdf Also accessed at: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AMH/XX/MidEast/Lebanon-1982-1984/DOD-Report/
Naval Historical Center. “Frequently Asked Questions, Casualties: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Wounded in Wars, Conflicts, Terrorist Acts, and Other Hostile Incidents.” Washington DC: Dept. of the Navy. At: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq56-1.htm
Also at: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AMH/AMH-USNchron.htm