Beirut, Lebanon-23 October 1983 People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to violence on their behalf. -George Orwell The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was forced out of the state of Jordan for many reasons that stemmed from radical ideology. PLO, the equivalent to Hezbollah today, caused terrorism throughout that region of the world. As conditions allowed, they chose to set up operations in the late seventies and early eighties in Beirut, Lebanon. As one would expect, the PLO radical ideology was causing havoc to the lives of the Lebanese people, by advancing their agenda. At the request of the Lebanese government a forward element of the US military was embedded in Beirut to provide subject matter expertise to the Lebanese Government and off set to what eventually became sectarian civil war. The first forward US military element was there in the beginning of 1982. In early 1983, among others and as part of a multinational peace keeping corps, 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (The 24th MAU were the 1st BTN/8th Marines) were deployed to Beirut, Lebanon and support the admixture of French, Italian and British. The mission was to prevent the PLO from further establishing their presence there, augment humanitarian causes, provide stability during the civil war between Muslims and Christians and maintain a peaceful presence in a third world culture. They were embedded in an environment that was fully saturated with daily combat throughout various parts of all sectors. For at least seven months (operationally speaking) the 24th MAU were at a tactical disadvantage to no fault of their own. There were delays or no response with resources or assets from the intelligence communities. The five story building for this operation housed the Marine barracks and the Battalion Landing Team. Strategically speaking, it was em placed at a disadvantage on the ground level of the Beirut International Airport. The Marine barracks overlooked a parking lot, the Mediterranean Sea and the unknown higher ground. On 22 October at Midnight the moon flowed slowly over the Shouf providing no light to the sea or earth. Just outside the wire the sporadic fire supported by Katysha Rockets and 122 millimeter howitzers were the common sounds. The sound of an all-night artillery assault, carried by the Syrian army who were supporting the PLO was heard repeatedly near the Marine barracks. The 24th Marines were at the end of their deployment, rotation out was set for the end of October 1983. 23 October, at 0623 a four-ton Mercedes truck driven by Iranian Imad Mugniyan drove through a Lebanese army check point and turned circular into the airport parking area, immediately crashing through a steel fence, driving for one hundred yards at maximum speed, to no avail other defensive barriers were in place to act as road blocks but failed to suffice. The truck travelled on its way to a sandbagged bunker and was approaching the entrance of barracks. The truck was loaded with nearly six thousand pounds of C-4 plastic explosives and aided by three hundred gallons of compressed propane gas. Marble was placed on the cargo compartment of the truck for control of the blast, the charge wound create a vertical effect for maximum destruction. Finally reaching his mark, Imad Mugniyan met his objective as he plowed in with the truck, dragging Marine sentries on its bumper as it rushed into the center of the open courtyard of the BLT... The Thud after detention was heard as far away as Sidon thirty miles south of the charge, the explosion shook the earth for three kilometers. The size of the explosion was beyond belief and seen from great distances. Across town a second, identical truck bomb was detonated, twenty-eight seconds later outside the headquarters of the French Foreign Legion detachment. Just like Imad Mugniyan, the second driver had been cultivated, vetted and specially selected for a martyrdom operation. The five story building that was once the barracks was literally vaporized, the five stories was now three stories of rubble. One can only imagine the chaos that followed, working through disorientation, confusing and the feeling of vulnerability, these were but a few of the conditions the surviving Marines and first responders had to endure. Immediately the Marines went to condition one readiness, as expected all flanks were manned, armored vehicles were placed as road blocks and every defensive measure was taken, as the peacekeeping mission now become a recovery operation. In the restless days that followed the initial conditions remained with sporadic gunfire in the immediate sector and sniper fire from higher ground continuing, with troop strength was at its thinnest, the very few cordon of Marines now held the airport. The physically and metal anguish of the survivors was compounded by shock as news from the BBC World Service to its viewership that United States had invaded Granada, the relieving Marine element was fighting another war twenty-five hundred miles away. Despite the command decision it was the resolve, tenacity and unflinching courage of the individual Marine that completed the recovery operation. Semper fi. This act alone killed two-hundred and forty-three Marines and wounding one hundred and fifty others. More Marines were lost on this event alone then in Kazaa or the Tent offensive during the Vietnam war. The second blast killed sixty French paratroopers and wounded fifty others. It has been determined by the FBI that blast on the Marine barracks was one of the largest nonnuclear explosions in history. A memorial honoring those of the Beirut Marine Barracks bombing was erected in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Inscribed under the Marine figure the words: They Came in Peace. Prior to 11 September 2001 this was the most horrific acts of terrorism perpetrated on the United States. The 23 October 1983 marked six years to the day that the US granted political asylum to the Shah of Iran. To this date the Iranian Government has not been held accountable for their involvement with any of the events related to this incident.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 08:36:18 +0000
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