Thursday, October 23, 2008

This Day in History...


25 years ago, 241 Americans died in bomb blast in Beirut.
What I didn't know (until today):

  • The explosion was, at the time, considered "the largest deliberate non-nuclear blast ever."
  • There was an identical attack upon a French base 6km away a few minutes later, killing 58 Frenchmen.
  • The victims families sued the government of Iran (for sponsoring the attacks) and won $2 billion.
  • It's technically not a terrorist attack, as no international law recognizes soldiers, not even sleeping ones, as non-combatants.
  • Sadly, there was no American response but withdrawal.

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