Who struck US Marines and the French army in October 1983?
The suicide bomber, an Iranian national named Ismail Ascari, detonated his explosives, which were later estimated to be equivalent to approximately 9,525 kilograms (21,000 pounds) of TNT. The force of the explosion collapsed the four-story building into rubble, crushing to death 241 American servicemen.
What happened to the marines in Lebanon in 1983?
Background: In October 1983, an Iranian national drove a truck bomb into the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The devastating bombing killed 241 American service members, including 220 Marines.
What was the mission of the Marines sent to Beirut?
During the Lebanese Civil War, a multinational force including 800 U.S. Marines lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon. It was the beginning of a problem-plagued mission that would stretch into 17 months and leave 262 U.S. servicemen dead.
What country created Hezbollah?
1982, Southern Lebanon, Lebanon
Hezbollah/Founded
Who bombed the US embassy in Lebanon?
Among the Americans killed were a journalist and eight members of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). About 120 others were injured. Islamic Jihad, a group linked to the Iranian-backed Shīʿite Muslim militia group Hezbollah, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Where were Marines deployed in the 80s?
Where was the Marine barracks bombing in 1983?
Facts: October 23, 1983 – 241 US service personnel — including 220 Marines and 21 other service personnel — are killed by a truck bomb at a Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon. Three hundred service members had been living at the four-story building at the airport in Beirut.
Who was the Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1983?
U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Paul Kelley awards the Purple Heart to Marines wounded in the Oct. 23, 1983 terrorist bombing in Beirut during a ceremony at the Wiesbaden Air Force hospital in Germany on Oct. 25.
How many Marines were killed in the 1983 Beirut bombing?
The 241 marines and sailors killed in the explosion represented the largest loss of life in a single day for the Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Within moments of the attack, a second suicide bomber drove into the barracks of a French paratrooper detachment in West Beirut.
When did the Marines leave the Beirut barracks?
Beirut barracks blown up. In a national address on October 23, President Reagan vowed to keep the marines in Lebanon, but just four months later he announced the end of the American role in the peacekeeping force. On February 26, 1984, the main force of marines left Lebanon, leaving just a small contingent to guard the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
