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Were the Beirut bombings in April and October 1983 precursors to subsequent anti-American actions in the Middle East?

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Answer:

Effectively, the Beirut bombings in April and October 1983 were precursors to subsequent anti-American actions in the Middle East, mostly due to the soft response by the American government.

Step-by-step explanation:

The attack on the American barracks in Beirut took place on October 23, 1983. During the Lebanese Civil War, two explosive-loaded trucks drove into barracks where American and French soldiers, who belonged to an international peacekeeping force, were stationed. The attack killed 299 people, including 220 US Marines and 58 French paratroopers. Responsible for the attack, with the help of Iran, was the Islamic faction of Hezbollah.

The attack stemmed from a feeling among Lebanese Muslims that the American soldiers were not part of a peace mission, but were a party in the conflict. Iran initiated the attack because of the support the United States offered to Iraq during the Iraq-Iran War. There was never a serious retaliatory measure against the attack from the American side. France responded with a few airstrikes to Hezbollah's targets in the Bekaa Valley. As a result of the attack, the international peacekeeping force withdrew from Lebanon.

The attack, meanwhile, caused massive support for Hezbollah, which started organizing more and more terrorist attacks against US targets.

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