Marines Barracks Bombing In Beirut That Killed 241 Americans

[Sayeret]

On October 23 1983, around 6:20 AM, a yellow Mercedes delivery truck drove to Beirut International Airport, where the United States Marines had their headquarters. It turned onto an access road leading to the compound and circled a parking lot. The driver gunned his engine, crashed through a barbed-wire fence in the compound parking lot, passed between two sentry posts, crashed through a gate, and barreled into the lobby of the Marine headquarters building. The Marine sentries had not had loaded weapons, and were not able to shoot the driver. According to one Marine, the driver was smiling as he sped past him.

The suicide bomber detonated his truck, which contained 12,000 pounds of TNT. The force of the explosion collapsed the four-story cinder-block building into rubble, crushing to death many inside. The FBI later conlcuded that the blast was the largest non-nuclear explosion they had ever seen.

The death toll was 241 for the Marine Barracks attack: 220 Marines, 18 Navy Personnel, and 3 Army soldiers. 60 Americans were injured. The United States left Lebanon as a result of this attack. Hezbollah is believed to be responsible for it.

President Reagan assembled his national security team to devise a plan of military action, and planned to target was the Sheik Abdullah barracks in Baalbek, Lebanon, which was believed to be training Hezbollah terrorists. However, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger aborted the mission, reportedly because of his concerns that it would harm U.S. relations with other Arab nations. Except for a few shellings from the USS New Jersey off Lebanon, there was no real military response from the United States due to the barracks bombing.

I only heard about this attack one or two years ago. Has anyone not ever heard of this attack?

Here is a picture of the remains of the compound after the bombing.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20011018101413/$file/rubblelow.jpg

Sadly the terrorists who committed this attack were never punished.

[wiggle]

Check out Distant Valor by C.X. Moreau... its fiction but the author was there at the time.

[IsdatU]

I only heard about this attack one or two years ago. Has anyone not ever heard of this attack?

You must be young teens or early twenties to not remember this.

[WolverineBlue]

This attack was an attack that woke up the American people to terrorism...where were you sleeping?

[James]

I was living in Germany at the time, courtesy of the U.S. Army. I was 9 years old. We all knew about it almost immediately.

Even at 9, it made a huge impression.

[Sayeret]

WolverineBlue Posted:


This attack was an attack that woke up the American people to terrorism...where were you sleeping?

I wasn't sleeping when the bombing occured since I wasn't alive yet.

[Quon Sen Hutt]

A sad day it was. RIP

Payback is long overdue.

[Pad75]

I remember very well this sad day. 2 minutes latter the Drakkar post exploded and killed 58 french paratrooper of the 1st RCP.

A sad sad day for soldiers who have been sent there to bring peace in Lebanon.

[Argyll]

I was stationed in Cyprus then,and assisted the Killed and wounded who came to RAF Akrotiri Hospital.A horrible thing to see!

Sayeret the terrorists responsible were driving the truck!
Do you mean the group responsible?

[MEGR]

Maybe you know this or maybe you do not, but the French Foreign Legion barracks was also attacked when the MEF building was hit. I think the figures for the Legion barracks was like 60+ dead. All together, that day really sucked ass.

[Pad75]

Maybe you know this or maybe you do not, but the French Foreign Legion barracks was also attacked when the MEF building was hit. I think the figures for the Legion barracks was like 60+ dead. All together, that day really sucked ass.

It was not the Legion but regular airborn (1er Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes).

[fantassin]

This is a VERY good site on the attack against the Drakkar building; very moving and very well done.

http://www.drakkar-1983.org/#

Click on "Entrez" at the bottom right corner to enter the site.

BTW, there is MUCH MORE to the French army than the Foreign Legion...

[Sayeret]

Angryll said:


Sayeret the terrorists responsible were driving the truck!
Do you mean the group responsible?

It was actually only one person driving the truck but I met that the people who should be punished were the planners and other people involved with it. It was a complex attack and probably required a lot of people such as people to gather the explosives, people to get the veichle, people to plan a route into the compound, etc. So I meant that the people who should be punished were the people who helpped support the attack and plan it.

[Sayeret]

Here is a speech by President Reagan after the bombings at the Marine Barracks and French paratrooper barracks.

http://www.beirut-memorial.org/history/reagan.html

This is a picture before the bombing:

http://www.beirut-memorial.org/graphics/photos/bltoblq.jpg

This is a picture during the bombing:

http://www.beirut-memorial.org/graphics/photos/0622.jpg

The remains of the barracks after the bombing:

http://www.beirut-memorial.org/graphics/photos/after.jpg

[IsdatU]

If I remember right, the homicide bomber was able to drive past the Marines at the front gate because they were not allowed to have ammunition in their rifles?

[Tane Angle]

Thank you very much for remembering. That means more to me than you can probably know.

And yes, the Marine sentries were forbidden from having loaded weapons. Many carried pistols anyways; those Marines weren't stupid. God bless the poor kids. Same for Bill Buckley, Terry Waite, Rev. Weir, Father Jenco, David Jacobsen, and the rest of the hostages. And our POWs in SE Asia. And Scott Speicher.

[TriggerPuller]

Thank you very much for remembering. That means more to me than you can probably know.

And yes, the Marine sentries were forbidden from having loaded weapons. Many carried pistols anyways; those Marines weren't stupid. God bless the poor kids. Same for Bill Buckley, Terry Waite, Rev. Weir, Father Jenco, David Jacobsen, and the rest of the hostages. And our POWs in SE Asia. And Scott Speicher. I went in the Marines 2 years after this and knew 3 guys that were in Beirut at the time. One of these guys was actually in the Barracks and lived. Only 3 others from his Platoon lived. When he and the other 3 got back to Lejeune they all went into town together and got the same Chinese Dragon that read Beirut 83 underneath. I have a picture of it somewhere.

RIP my Brothers!!!!

TP

[Tane Angle]

He's a lucky man to have survived. They almost all really were just innocent kids. I still talk to a lot of the Marines I met in Lebanon, both before and after the attacks; the living ones talk back a bit more than the dead ones, but I'd like to think the dead still listen. Those Marines were, and are, dang good folks.

[MetalBoy]

So when is Bush gonna unleash the Marines into the Bekaa Valley for some covert payback? It really pisses me off that we didn't respond, basically sowing the seeds in the terrorists minds that if the US is attacked we will back down.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/interviews/cowan.html
Good interview with Retired Lt. Col Bill Cowan, one of the Marines tasked with preparing to strike at the suspects, but sadly never got the chance.

[MetalBoy]

Also wasn't it also determined that Mugniyah the Hezbollah asshole #1 responsible for planning the attacks in Beiruit. It's a ****ing shame that Clinton allowed him to get away when the Marines and SEALs had the chance to ake his ass down in 96 when we found him on that boat in the Gulf.

[SeanAshi]

We should go after Hezbollah the way we are going after Al Qaeda.

[Tane Angle]

Let's deal with the threat we have now first. Frankly, that group has pacified to an extent. They control most of Lebanon, and no one really knows if that is good or bad. On the one hand, they have a nation, on the other hand, they have something to lose. If that group pacifies, I don't know if I care about them one way or another. I don't need revenge anymore. That will only cost more young American lives and worsen a situation that only recently has begun to calm down. If they're not a threat, I don't really care then. If they were a major threat, fine, go hit them. But if they're not, let's not pour salt on old wounds.

Lebanon is a tremendously intricate and delicate nation, even more so than Iraq and Afghanistan. Tens of factions, with half a dozen major religions, squished into an area smaller than Rhode Island, if I recall my numbers correctly.

Insert sacrasm here: Besides, those 241 boys-they obviously weren't important enough for us to avenge them two decades ago. Our old hat in country, those humanitarian aid workers, all of the hostages-they obviously weren't important enough to rescue. The same for our POWs in SE Asia and for Scott Spiecher, the pilot we left to rot in Iraq for dozen years. Even our current President did squat to help him.

I hope that John Kerry grasps the horror of leaving those people to rot, not quite dead, not quite alive. I think he does; John McCain has been suggested as either a VP(switch parties) or SECDEF, and he sure as anyone knows what went on in there. I hope that Kerry does, because Bush obviously couldn't give two cents.

So with all due respect, my gentlemen friends, don't go back there. If the threat has mutated into a government complete with fast food joints, let it. And when we do combat threats, rescue our people. To this day, we have a long history of failing in that regard. At least in Vietnam and Iran 1980, we tried. How is it that Jimmy Carter was the last President to try to help our people? What about the three "pro-military Republican" Presidents since him? At least Clinton can be blamed as a "commie pinko." What's everyone else's excuse? That Grenada was more important? Please don't blame it all on Clinton. I don't think Clinton was a great President, as a lot of people on here know by now, but he wasn't the only guy sleeping on the job in the past 20 years.

I'm sorry that I'm writing such a long post, and my apologies for being, well frustrated. Certainly not frustrated at you all, I mean that. I don't even know who I would be frustrated at. And I'm sorry that I am probably going in circles, I'm editing this to take out the swear words and the more personal stuff, but I think I've gone in circles with it. (edit out)

I guess I am frustrated that our glorious pro-defense, pro-military President couldn't be bothered. Star Wars was ok to spend billions on, but could he spare a couple bucks for a rescue mission for Bill Buckley? Of course not! I love and respect office of the Presidency with all my heart. It commands my loyalty. However, I can find so very little respect for so many of the men who have sat in behind that desk over the past few decades.

So take care out there, you all. I mean that. Don't get captured. And if you do, keep hope alive, because I think that there's hope here, that our next President will actually care about rescuing our people. Keep hope alive, and we will come get you.

[Jack Mehoff]

I don't remember any of that bombing. I saw it in the history channel, though

[MetalBoy]

I understand where your coming from Tane, I am frustrated too, its probably a bad idea to invade Lebanon to settle an old score, but somehow the nagging feeling that justice still needs to be served to those a-holes doesn't go away. Time does not heal the need for justice. Lets say, if some person murdered my parents 20 years ago and today I finally found him after years of searching I wouldn't for a second hesitate to kill him. In the same way, I reason, justice needs to be served to people like Mugniyah.

[SeanAshi]

I am frustrated too, its probably a bad idea to invade Lebanon to settle an old score, but somehow the nagging feeling that justice still needs to be served to those a-holes doesn't go awayHezbollah is a threat to the United States, Israel and Lebanon ;) Hezbollah thinks the USA is nothing but a pushover...they kill our soldiers and French paratroopers.....Syrian and Lebanese military are not in the best of shape you know? The only people Syria can push around are the Lebanese
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasite/images/iht_daily/D150304/180EngAl_Assads.jpgNo thats not Saddam Hussien, its Hafez Assad woot

[Sayeret]

Hezbollah isn't as much of a threat to the US has the Al Qaeda but I think that one day the US should deal with them it doesn't have to be a military response but it should be something. The reason is because they would attack Americans if they got the chance and attack an ally of ours. Here is a list of attacks done by Hezbollah:

April 1983- Committed a suicide truck bomb attack on the US Embassy in Beirut, killing 49 and wounding 120 people.

October 1983- Attacked US Marines barracks killing 241 Americans with suicide truck bomb.

December 1983- Carried out a series of car bomb attacks against the US Embassy in Kuwait.

January 1984- Murdered American University of Beirut President Malcom Kerr.

February 1984- Kidnaped Frank Regier, a US professor later rescued in April 1984.

March 1984- Kidnaped Jermy Levin, US journalist, who escaped February 1985.

March 1984- Kidnapped William Bucklym US diplomat and killed him.

May 1984- Kidnapped Reverend Benjamin Weir, US citzen, he was later released.

September 1984- carried out sucide truck bomb of US Embassy Annex in East Beirut. The attack killed 23 people, including 2 Americans.

December 1984- Hijacked Kuwait Air flight 221 to Tehran and killed two US Agency for Interntional Development officials.

January 1985-Kidnapped Father Martin Jenco and later released him.

March 1985-Kidnapped AP journalist Terry Anderson.

May 1985- Kidnapped David Jacobsen, American University of Beirut director.

June 1985- Kidnapped Thoamas Sutherland, American University of Beirut dean.

June 1985- Hijacked TWA flight 847 en route to Athens, held 39 American citzens hostage for 17 days and murdered US Navy diver Robert Stethem.

September 1986- Kidnaped Frank Reed, American citzen

September 1986- Kidnaped Joseph Cicippio, American citzen

January 1987- Kidnaped Beirut University College professors Jesse Turner, Alan Steen, Robert Polhil; all US citzens, and Mithileshwar Singh. Mithileshwar Singh was later released.

February 1988- Kidnapped UN Military Observer Lt Col Ricahrd Higgins, USMC