1983 Beirut Barracks Bombings — the full case file

The NSA intercepted an Iranian message calling for 'spectacular action' against the Marines weeks before the bombing. On October 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck buildings housing U.S. and French peacekeepers in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 307 people — 241 U.S. and 58 French military personnel, six civilians, and two attackers — in one of the deadliest single-day losses for the U.S. military since World War II. On June 6, 1982, Israel invades southern Lebanon in Operation Peace for Galilee. On August 25, 1982, Multinational Force (MNF) troops, including U.S. Marines, deploy in Beirut to oversee PLO evacuation. On September 14, 1982, Lebanon's President-elect Bachir Gemayel is assassinated. In September 1982, Sabra and Shatila massacre occurs in Beirut. On April 18, 1983, U.S. Embassy in Beirut is bombed, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans. On September 26, 1983, NSA intercepts an Iranian communication reportedly directing the ambassador in Damascus to take 'spectacular action' against U.S. Marines. On October 23, 1983, Truck bombs detonate at the U.S. Marine barracks and the French Drakkar building in Beirut, killing 307 people. On October 23, 1983, Rescue operations begin within minutes of the bombings, involving U.S., French, Lebanese, Italian, and British personnel. On October 24, 1983, French President François Mitterrand visits both bomb sites. On October 26, 1983, U.S. Vice President George H. W. Bush tours the destroyed Marine barracks site. On November 18, 1983, the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit rotates into Beirut, relieving the 24th MAU. On December 14, 1983, USS New Jersey fires on hostile targets near Beirut. On February 7, 1984, President Reagan orders Marines to begin withdrawing from Lebanon. On February 8, 1984, USS New Jersey fires nearly 300 shells at Druze and Syrian positions in the Beqaa Valley. On February 26, 1984, Withdrawal of the 22nd MAU from Beirut International Airport is completed. On March 8, 1985, a truck bomb in Beirut, alleged by some to be retaliatory, kills more than 80 people near the apartment of Sheikh Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. On October 3, 2001, Families of victims file civil suits against Iran and the Ministry of Information and Security in U.S. federal court. On May 30, 2003, Judge Royce C. Lamberth finds Iran legally responsible for supporting Hezbollah's role in the attack. On September 7, 2007, Lamberth awards plaintiffs over $2.65 billion in damages. On February 12, 2008, Imad Mughniyah, indicted by a U.S. grand jury in connection with the bombings, is killed by a car bomb in Syria. On October 10, 2017, U.S. State Department adds Fuad Shukr to its Rewards for Justice Program for his alleged role in the bombings. On July 30, 2024, Fuad Shukr is killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. On September 20, 2024, Ibrahim Aqil is killed in a separate Israeli airstrike. The case remains unsolved. This case file is kept in memory of the victims and the people who loved them. The full sourced case file, with every fact cited, is at casepin dot org.

Transcript from the video’s narration track. For every source, open the case file.