U.S Embassy Bombing in BeirutBy Sam Swanson

What is an embassy?

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=embassy+in+united+states&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=666&tbm=isch&tbnid=cia3p4wXjBTEgM:&imgrefurl=http://eritrea.usembassy.gov/&docid=0S8_SNPdc2hP0M&w=300&h=300&ei=nHV2TuvIJ-iLsALn8amMBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=184&vpy=149&dur=312&hovh=219&hovw=219&tx=91&ty=145&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

A building that is owned by a country, but is located in a different country.

Ambassadors work in embassy buildings

Embassies increase communication between countries.

About the U.S embassy in Beirut

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=U.S+embassy+in+beirut+before&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=BlSyo5Du6fjM4M:&imgrefurl=http://abdallah.hiof.no/tracks/US_embassy_Beirut.kml&docid=cNLup0Rox20ccM&w=827&h=806&ei=c3N2TtvKLM6osAL_lPyLBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=805&vpy=138&dur=2812&hovh=222&hovw=227&tx=64&ty=112&page=7&tbnh=152&tbnw=156&start=96&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:96

Established in 1833.

The purpose of the embassy was for relations, religious, educational and literary pursuits.

It was considered a headquarters for a range of U.S. agencies

What is the U.S Embassy Bombing?

It was an attack on the U.S embassy building located in Beirut, Lebanon.

A suicide bomber in a van loaded a stolen vehicle with explosives.

He ran the van into the U.S embassy building.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=U.S+embassy+bombing+in+beirut&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=C-a8NmjTX_GB8M:&imgrefurl=http://news.sky.com/home/article/1300757&docid=jqrw_KfkWCqAmM&w=180&h=180&ei=Ap9vTsOyIcWBsgLo_6DOCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=672&vpy=140&dur=2422&hovh=144&hovw=144&tx=82&ty=106&page=3&tbnh=144&tbnw=144&start=23&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:23&biw=1024&bih=571

When did the bombing take place?

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=U.S+embassy+bombing+in+beirut&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=C3MwqQlSwKHzKM:&imgrefurl=http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx%3Fid%3D374036&docid=RZHHUiDpVYP2qM&w=230&h=232&ei=Ap9vTsOyIcWBsgLo_6DOCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=482&vpy=265&dur=875&hovh=185&hovw=184&tx=94&ty=91&page=1&tbnh=115&tbnw=123&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&biw=1024&bih=571

The bombing took place on April 18, 1983.

Monday afternoon.

Approximately around 1 o’clock P.M.

How many people were wounded/lost their lives?

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=U.S+embassy+bombing+in+beirut&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=YzAJQslLH_e9zM:&imgrefurl=http://middleeast.about.com/od/thisdayinmideasthistory/ig/September-18-to-September-24-i/Hezbollah-Attacks-US-Embassy-.htm&docid=TtJs2Fmzwvi4QM&w=600&h=404&ei=lqRvTqrkFs6osAL4uZH9CQ&zoom=1&biw=1024&bih=571&iact=rc&dur=516&page=1&tbnh=118&tbnw=160&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=68&ty=71

63 people lost their lives.

• 32 were Lebanese employees.

• 17 Americans.

• 14 visitors.

120 people were injured.

Destruction

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=U.S+embassy+bombing+in+beirut&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=w2EbgOawxGf7NM:&imgrefurl=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1842608_1842698_1842657,00.html&docid=YuvIOkIHb5OGRM&w=360&h=235&ei=lqRvTqrkFs6osAL4uZH9CQ&zoom=1&biw=1024&bih=571&iact=rc&dur=172&page=1&tbnh=115&tbnw=153&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0&tx=96&ty=91

The explosives destroyed the front of the building.

The building was 7 stories high.

• For the most part, all of the stories were affected.

• The bottom stories were the worst.

Destruction

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=u.s+embassy+bombing+in+beirut&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=Shjl-iKo0Jxc1M:&imgrefurl=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/three-dead-near-beirut-as-bomb-misses-us-vehicle/2008/01/16/1200419886003.html&docid=YnffQfjr8qK2fM&w=470&h=326&ei=O6J3TomlBezMsQLm6YiMBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=189&vpy=338&dur=2491&hovh=187&hovw=270&tx=148&ty=86&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw=208&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0

Balconies and offices were destroyed.

Windows were broken as far as a mile away.

The bomb was heard all the way through West Beirut.

Video: a day after the Bombing

Who was responsible for the bombing?

http://www.blackfive.net/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/17/hezbollah_islam.jpg

After the bomb, a pro-Iranian group called the Islamic Jihad Organization took responsibility for the bombing. (The Islamic Jihad Organization means “holy war.”

An anonymous caller said, "This is part of the Iranian revolution's campaign against imperialist targets throughout the world. We shall keep striking at any imperialist presence in Lebanon, including the international force."

Hezbollah (an Iranian group) claimed responsibility for the blast with a message "promising not to allow a single American to remain on Lebanese soil ... we mean every inch of Lebanese territory. ...“ [3]

What was “Hezbollah”?

http://thegatewaypundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/hezbollah.jpg

Islamic resistance group

Hezbollah means “Party of God”

41 percent of the Lebanon population was associated with this group.

“Hezbollah”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayatollah_Khomeini

One of the first groups to use suicide bombings as an attack.

The leaders of Hezbollah were inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini

Religious leader and politition

–became Iranian Supreme Leader

After the bombing

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/02/14/world/14syria-inline1-650.jpg

The U.S. government took no military action.

Embassy moved to new location in East Beirut.

The Marine Barracks bombing occurred just a few months later.

Interesting Facts

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=u.s+embassy+in+beirut&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=N&tbm=isch&tbnid=xm00GGow46166M:&imgrefurl=http://wadeandmeg.blogspot.com/2010/02/walk-past-hallowed-ground.html&docid=wLx-WHrWIzzmDM&w=283&h=400&ei=bN94Ttq9G4HAtgej5-2bDA&zoom=1&biw=1024&bih=571&iact=rc&dur=375&page=2&tbnh=168&tbnw=128&start=15&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:15&tx=64&ty=40

2,000 pounds of explosives were in the van

After the U.S embassy was moved to East Beirut the embassy was bombed a second time on September 20, 1984

The bomb killed 9 people

Work Citedo "About the Embassy | Embassy of the United States Beirut, Lebanon." Home | Embassy of the United

States Beirut, Lebanon. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/about_the_embassy.html>.

o "Terrorist Attacks On Americans, 1979-1988 | Target America | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/cron.html>.

o "1983 United States Embassy Bombing." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_United_States_embassy_bombing>.

o Views, Civiliansby Hijazna4,634. "U.S. Embassy Bombing in Beirut 1983 - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P8ZD3dA7H4>.

o "U.S. Embassy in Beirut - Worst Embassy Attacks - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1842608_1842698_1842657,00.html>.

o "Terrorist Bombing Of The Marine Barracks, Beirut, Lebanon." Arlington National Cemetery Website Title Page. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/terror.htm>.

o "U.S. Embassy in Beirut Hit by Massive Car Bomb — History.com This Day in History — 10/23/1983." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-embassy-in-beirut-hit-by-massive-car-bomb>.

o Macaron, Joe. "US Says It Knows Who Bombed Beirut Embassy 25 Years Ago." Web.15 Sept 2011. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003432/posts

o Hand, Stable. "The Jawa Report: 26 Yrs Ago Today US Embassy In Beirut Bombed." The Jawa Report V3.0 Beta. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/197333.php>.

o "April 18, 1983: U.S. Embassy Bombed in Beirut | Video - ABC News." ABCNews.com: Daily News, Breaking News and Video Broadcasts - ABC News. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/april-18-1983-us-embassy-bombed-beirut-9808367>.