![]() ![]() The increasing friction between the factions ignited a civil war in 1975 between PLO, Christian, and Muslim forces. The presence of these immigrants exacerbated festering, age-old ethnic and religious differences. ![]() Palestinian refugees fleeing the conflicts and members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) exiled from Jordan in 1970-71 sought safe haven in Lebanon. The immediate cause of the fighting in the 1980s that precipitated Marine involvement directly stemmed from the Arab-Israeli conflicts of 19. The conflicts in Lebanon that preceded Marine involvement in 1982 were complex, the causes multifaceted, and the roots of the violence traced back centuries. ![]() The bombing was the deadliest single day for the Marine Corps since D-Day at Iwo Jima in 1945, and came to symbolize the Marine mission in Lebanon. Unfortunately, the Marines were fighting an enemy using terrorist tactics and 241 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers, lost their lives in a suicide truck bombing on 23 October 1983. As the MNF gradually compromised their neutrality, the Marines became targets of militias and responded with deadly force as a means of self-preservation. The United States government intended to provide a neutral, stabilizing force in Lebanon, but this proved increasingly difficult as the mission progressed. The Marines were to maintain a visible “presence” in the capital of Beirut, in the hopes that it would deter further bloodshed among the various warring factions and militias fighting for control of the country. ![]() The Beirut Bombing: Thirty Years Later Prepared by Historical Reference Branch Graduate Student Intern from University of West Florida Public History Program, Summer 2013Ī little more than thirty years ago, in 1982, the Marines began a peacekeeping mission as part of a multinational force (MNF) in war torn Lebanon. ![]()
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