US soldiers search debris after the terrorist attack blasted through four layers of concrete. AFP
US soldiers search debris after the terrorist attack blasted through four layers of concrete. AFP

1983 - US Marines bombed in Beirut

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Updated 19 April 2025
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1983 - US Marines bombed in Beirut

1983 - US Marines bombed in Beirut
  • The 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut by a pro-Iranian group killed 241 Americans and led to the US withdrawal from Lebanon

BEIRUT: At about 6:25 a.m. on Oct. 23, 1983, Beirut and its suburbs were shaken, as far as its mountainous regions, by what seemed almost a muffled explosion. 

People thought it was an earthquake, but seven minutes later the city and its surroundings were again shaken by a second, much more massive blast. 

I was working for the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir as a war correspondent at the time. Beirut was besieged, in its southern suburbs, the mountains and the Kharoub region, by clashes between the Progressive Socialist Party and its allies on one hand, and the Lebanese Forces on the other, in what was known as the “Mountain War.” 

The south of the country was also the scene of armed resistance by Lebanese fighters against the Israeli occupation. These fighters had links to leftist parties and previously with Palestinian factions. 

Multinational forces, including the Americans, French and Italians, had been stationed in Beirut following the withdrawal of the leadership and forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization, as a result of Israel’s aggression against Lebanon including its occupation of Beirut in 1982. 

Within a few minutes of the blasts, it became clear that the headquarters of the US Marines on Beirut’s Airport Road, and the base for the French contingent in the Jinnah area, had been hit by two separate suicide attacks. The unidentified bombers had stormed two fortified locations with trucks packed with tonnes of explosives.

How we wrote it




The day after the attacks, Arab News noted 120 Marine and 20 French deaths, a significantly lower figure than the final count.

The attack on the US base killed 241 American military personnel — 220 Marines, 18 sailors and three soldiers — and wounded dozens. The bombing of the French military site killed 58 French paratroopers and more than 25 Lebanese. 

The attacks were the second of their kind in Beirut; a suicide bomber had targeted the US embassy in Ain Al-Mraiseh six months earlier, on April 18, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans and 35 Lebanese. 

The damage was enormous at the headquarters of the Marines. Four layers of cement had collapsed into piles of rubble, fires were burning, and there was a lot of screaming amid the blood, body parts and confusion. This is what we journalists could see amid the chaos in the immediate aftermath, and what sticks in my memory more than 40 years later. 

The night before, a Saturday, the Marines had been partying, entertained by a musical group that had traveled from the US to perform for them. Most were still asleep when the bomb exploded. 

No group claimed responsibility for the bombings that day, but a few days later As-Safir published a statement it had received in which the “Islamic Revolution Movement” said it was responsible. 

About 48 hours after the bombing, the US accused the Amal Movement and its splinter group, Islamic Amal, led by Hussein Al-Moussawi, of being responsible for the attack. According to reports in local newspapers at the time: “The planning for the bombing took place in Baalbek, and the truck used was seen parked in front of an Amal Movement office.” 

The US vice president, George H.W. Bush, visited Lebanon the day after the attack and said: “We will not allow terrorism to dictate or change our foreign policy.” 

Syria, Iran and the Amal Movement denied any involvement in either of the bombings. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    Multinational US, French and Italian peacekeeping force is sent to Beirut to oversee withdrawal of Palestine Liberation Organization fighters.

    Timeline Image Aug. 24, 1982

  • 2

    US Marines withdraw.

  • 3

    Lebanese President Bachir Gemayel assassinated.

    Timeline Image Sept. 14, 1982

  • 4

    Christian militia, assisted by Israeli troops, massacres hundreds of Muslims in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.

    Timeline Image Sept. 16-19, 1982

  • 5

    US Marines return to Beirut.

  • 6

    17 Americans among 63 people killed in bombing at US embassy in Beirut.

    Timeline Image April 18, 1983

  • 7

    Truck bomb kills 241 US personnel and wounds 128 at Marines’ compound in Beirut. Similar device kills 58 French paratroopers stationed nearby.

    Timeline Image Oct. 23, 1983

  • 8

    US court concludes Iran ordered the attack and Hezbollah carried it out.

French authorities responded to the attack on its forces by sending eight military jets to bomb the Sheikh Abdullah barracks in Baalbek, where they said “Iranian elements are stationed.” They stated at the time “the raids killed 200 people.” 

An official from Islamic Amal denied that Iran had a compound in the Baalbek region, but added that his group’s association with “the Islamic revolution in Iran is the association of a nation with its leader, and we are defending ourselves.”

On Nov. 23, the Lebanese Cabinet decided to sever relations with Iran and Libya. Lebanese Foreign Minister Eli Salem said the decision “was taken after Iran and Libya admitted that they have forces in the Bekaa.” 

A report in As-Safir quoted a diplomatic source as saying: “Relations with Iran have worsened due to the illegal interventions, practices and activities it carried out on the Lebanese scene, despite many warnings.” 

The attacks on Oct. 23 were the strongest indication up until then of the shifting balance of regional and international power in Lebanon, and the emergence of a growing Iranian role in the civil war. 

Researcher Walid Noueihed told me that prior to 1982, Beirut had welcomed all forms of opposition, including the educated elite, referred to as the “velvet opposition,” and the armed opposition, the members of which were trained in Palestinian camps or training centers in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon. 




The aerial view of the US embassy in Beirut following the explosion which killed 63 people, including 46 Lebanese and 17 Americans. AFP

He said the Iranian opposition to the Shah was present among these groups, and described Beirut as an oasis for opposition movements until 1982. However, this dynamic changed when Israel invaded Lebanon and besieged Beirut, resulting in the departure of the PLO under an international agreement that in exchange required Israel to refrain from entering Beirut. 

While the Palestinian factions departed from Lebanon, however, the Lebanese fighters associated with the PLO, most of them Shiites who formed the bases of Lebanese leftist parties, did not. 

The attacks on the US and French military bases led to the withdrawal of international forces from Lebanon, Noueihed said, leaving Beirut unprotected once again. Resistance operations grew, influenced by ideologies distinct from those of the traditional left, as groups such as Islamic Amal openly displayed slogans advocating confrontation with Israel. 

In 1985, Hezbollah was officially established as “a jihadi organization leading a revolution for an Islamic republic.” It attracted support from Lebanese and Palestinian leftist parties, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Noueihed said the emergence of Hezbollah coincided with a decline of existing symbols of national resistance, which seemed to signal an intention to exclude all other forces in the country from the resistance movement, leaving Hezbollah as the dominant party. 

The Iranian influence in Lebanon became evident during violent clashes between Hezbollah and Amal, which resulted in dozens of casualties and concluded with Hezbollah consolidating its control amid the presence of Syrian military forces. 

Beirut eventually became a city abandoned by the educated elite, as hundreds of writers, intellectuals, researchers and media professionals fled to Europe, fearing for their safety, Noueihed added. 

  • Najia Houssari is a writer for Arab News, based in Beirut. She was a war correspondent for Lebanese newspaper As-Safir at the time the US Marine barracks were bombed. 


Chile weighs future of charming German village with dark past

Chile weighs future of charming German village with dark past
Updated 4 min 24 sec ago
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Chile weighs future of charming German village with dark past

Chile weighs future of charming German village with dark past
  • Villa Baviera is the former home of a brutal cult that was used for torturing and killing dissidents under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet
  • The Chilean state wants to turn it into a memorial for the victims of the country’s 1973-1990 dictatorship
VILLA BAVIERA: With its pristine swimming pool, manicured lawns and lush forest backdrop, Villa Baviera, a German-themed settlement of 122 souls in southern Chile, looks like the perfect holiday getaway.
But Colonia Dignidad, as it was previously known, is a byword for horror, as the former home of a brutal cult that was used for torturing and killing dissidents under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
Twenty years after the cult leader, former Wehrmacht soldier Paul Schaefer, was jailed for the sexual abuse and torture of children at the colony, the Chilean state wants to turn it into a memorial for the victims of the country’s 1973-1990 dictatorship.
In June last year, President Gabriel Boric ordered that 116 hectares (287 acres) of the 4,800-hectare site, an area including the residents’ homes, a hotel, a restaurant, and several food processing factories, be expropriated to make way for a center of remembrance.
But some of the inhabitants, who were separated from their families as children, subjected to forced labor, and in some cases, sexually abused, say they are being victimized all over again.
Colonia Dignidad
Schaefer founded Colonia Dignidad in 1961 as an idyllic German family village — but instead abused, drugged and indoctrinated the few hundred residents and kept them as virtual slaves.
The boundaries between abuser and abused were blurred, with the children of Schaefer’s sidekicks counting themselves among his victims.
Anna Schnellenkamp, the 48-year-old manager of the colony’s hotel and restaurant, said she “worked completely free of charge until 2005,” the year of Schaefer’s arrest. “So much work I broke my back.”
Several years ago Schnellenkamp, whose late father Kurt Schnellenkamp was jailed for five years for being an accomplice to Schaefer’s abuse, finally found happiness.
She got married, had a daughter and started to create new, happier memories in the colony, where everyone still communicates in German despite being conversant in Spanish.
But she still views the settlement as part of her birthright.
“The settlers know every detail, every building, every tree, including where they once suffered and were forced to work,” she explained.
Chile’s dictatorship
Around 3,200 people were killed and more than 38,000 people tortured during Chile’s brutal dictatorship.
An estimated 26 people disappeared in Colonia Dignidad, where a potato shed, now a national monument, was used to torture dozens of kidnapped regime opponents.
But on the inside too, abuse was rife.
Schaefer was captured in 2005 on charges of sexually abusing dozens of minors over nearly half a century. He died in prison five years later while in preventive custody.
His arrest, and those of 20 other accomplices, marked a turning point for the colony, which had been rebranded Villa Baviera a decade previously.
Suddenly, residents were free to marry, live with their children, send them to school and earn a paycheck.
Some of the settlers returned to Germany.
Others remained behind and built a thriving agribusiness and resort, where tourists can sample traditional German fare, such as sauerkraut.
Some residents feel that Chile, which for decades turned a blind eye to the fate of the enclave’s children, now wants to make them pay for the sins of their fathers.
“One feels a kind of revenge against us,” said Markus Blanck, one of the colony’s business directors, whose father was charged as an accomplice of Schaefer’s abuse but died before being sentenced.
The government argues that the expropriations are in the public interest.
“There is a national interest here in preserving our country’s historical heritage,” Justice Minister Jaime Gajardo told AFP, assuring that those expropriated would be properly compensated.
Memorial site
While several sites of torture under the Chilean dictatorship have been turned into memorial sites, Gajardo said the memorial at Villa Baviera would be the biggest yet, similar to those created at former Nazi concentration camps in Europe.
It is not yet clear whether it will take the form solely of a museum or whether visitors will also be able to roam the site, including Schaefer’s house and the infamous potato shed.
The clock is ticking down for Boric to make the memorial a reality before his term runs out in March 2026.
His government wants to proceed quickly, for fear that the project be buried by a future right-wing government loathe to dwell on the abuses of the Pinochet era.

Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud hails Saudi-Japan ties

Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud hails Saudi-Japan ties
Updated 17 min 24 sec ago
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Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud hails Saudi-Japan ties

Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud hails Saudi-Japan ties
  • Prince Abdullah highlights investment growth with Japan
  • Praises role of Arab News Japan in boosting cooperation 

TOKYO: In an interview with Arab News Japan, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud has lauded the strong ties between Japan and the Kingdom, and said he was deeply honored to have received a top honor from the Asia nation.

The former governor of the Saudi General Investment Authority received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun last month.

“Receiving the Imperial Award is indeed a great honor. Like many in the Kingdom, including officials and former officials, I hold the Japanese emperor, government and people in the highest regard,” Prince Abdullah said in the recent interview with Arab News Japan. 

Reflecting on his tenure at SAGIA, now the Ministry of Investment, Prince Abdullah highlighted the collective nature of the recognition. 

“The award reflects the work carried out during my tenure at SAGIA ... This recognition is not solely mine, it is a shared achievement with my colleagues.

“More importantly, it reflects the leadership’s ongoing commitment to strengthening relations with Japan,” he said. 

He emphasized the Kingdom’s investment in international cooperation, noting the evolution of SAGIA into a full ministry under the Council of Ministers. 

“The elevation of SAGIA to a full ministry ... highlights the strategic importance the Saudi leadership places on investment and international cooperation,” he added.

During his recent visit to the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Prince Abdullah shared his impressions of the Saudi Pavilion, which he described as a powerful representation of the Kingdom’s transformation and culture. 

“The Saudi Pavilion was excellent,” he said of the expo which opened on April 13 and ends Oct. 13. 

“I was particularly interested in the design elements of the Saudi Pavilion, how it captured the essence and transformation of our land, and how quickly and effectively the structure was developed.”

He praised the role of the Ministry of Culture and the young Saudis staffing the pavilion.

“The presence of talented young Saudi men and women at the pavilion was especially noteworthy.

“The structure itself, using stones especially brought from the Kingdom, was impressive, with features such as embedded loudspeakers, combining aesthetics and functionality,” he told Arab News Japan.

Prince Abdullah, who previously served as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, also lauded the Japanese Pavilion, saying it was “outstanding. Their designers, architects, and scientists demonstrated exceptional innovation.”

 “I even recommended our ambassador Dr. Ghazi Binzagr, who began his academic career in physics, to revisit the pavilion, as the advanced technologies on display merit deeper understanding,” he said. 

Turning to the broader significance of Saudi Arabia-Japan relations, Prince Abdullah emphasized the need for robust media and cultural exchange, pointing to Arab News Japan’s role as a valuable bridge between the two nations. 

“First, I would like to commend the efforts behind Arab News Japan. It is an important initiative, both in its content and in the way it delivers information. 

“It serves a valuable audience and contributes meaningfully to deepening understanding between our two countries.” 

He added: “There is deep mutual respect between our peoples. There is great potential for cooperation, especially among small- and medium-sized enterprises on both sides,” he said. 

Praising Japan’s technological innovation and the Kingdom’s transformative development, he said: “What we can realize by our partnership is amazing.” 

Prince Abdullah added that Japan and Saudi Arabia will benefit from increased cooperation, as well as the global economy.


Riyadh hosts a world of jewels

Riyadh hosts a world of jewels
Updated 25 min 27 sec ago
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Riyadh hosts a world of jewels

Riyadh hosts a world of jewels
  • Jewelry exhibition showcasing Saudi designers and global luxury pieces dazzles visitors

RIYADH: Under the chandelier-lit halls of Riyadh’s Mandarin Oriental Al-Faisaliah Hotel, the Jewels of the World exhibition gathered more than 60 brands for an eager crowd of jewelry and watch enthusiasts.

The exhibition, which ended on Monday, featured notable global names including Bil Arabi, Yoko London, Scavia and FerriFirenze.

Local talent was also spotlighted, notably Renad Al-Amoudi’s striking Marque Legacy collection, which draws inspiration from the flora of the Saudi deserts, including Ruby Lily and Petit Iris.

Nader Freiha, director and organizer of Jewels of the World, said that the exhibition this year is “the culmination of a journey that began in 2016.”

He added that hosting the event in Riyadh reflects “the remarkable growth of the jewelry market in the Kingdom, which has become a destination for global brands thanks to its discerning clientele.”

The exhibition offers the opportunity to explore new collections debuting in Saudi Arabia, from everyday jewelry to ornate bridal sets, many of which are inspired by global artistic and cultural heritage, Freiha said.

“The exhibition is a benchmark for ensuring both quality and luxury simultaneously,” he added.

Ahmed Al-Shirazi, director of SJC Saudi Arabia, a destination for luxury jewelry, said that the exhibition is an opportunity to strengthen brands and attract new customers through showcasing designs and engaging directly.

The Bahraini jeweler observed a rising inclination among clients to use luxury jewelry as a form of self-expression and personal style, highlighting a heightened appreciation for the finer details in their overall look.

Nezar Mukhtar, a member of the Precious Metals and Gemstones National Committee at the Saudi Chambers Federation, observed visitors’ keen interest in renowned brand names.

“Hosting exhibitions locally spares enthusiasts and designers the hassle of traveling and saves them valuable time,” he said.

Mukhtar added that events like Jewels of the World support the national economy and spotlight the sophisticated taste of Saudi consumers.

“Such an exhibition addresses the expectations of many discerning clients seeking specific quality standards in jewelry,” he said.


How Biden cancer diagnosis could have gone undetected

How Biden cancer diagnosis could have gone undetected
Updated 25 min 55 sec ago
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How Biden cancer diagnosis could have gone undetected

How Biden cancer diagnosis could have gone undetected
  • Republicans shared conspiratorial posts to the effect that Biden and his White House medical team had long concealed his illness for political purposes

WASHINGTON: Joe Biden’s diagnosis with an aggressive form of prostate cancer has spurred some prominent conservatives to accuse the former president of a cover-up, but oncologists told AFP that screening limitations could very well have left his condition undetected until now.
The 82-year-old received the diagnosis last week after he experienced urinary issues and a prostate nodule was found, his office said Sunday.
While President Donald Trump said he was “saddened” to learn of his rival’s condition, a chorus of Republicans led by Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr said or shared conspiratorial posts to the effect that Biden and his White House medical team had long concealed his illness for political purposes.
Questions over Biden’s health dogged him throughout the waning months of his presidency and his short-lived reelection campaign. And they have been renewed in recent weeks ahead of the expected release of a book detailing what it calls his declining physical condition.
Prostate cancer, the most common among men, is typically diagnosed much sooner than other kinds of cancer. It can be caught in its early stages using blood tests that measure for a protein called PSA.
Medical experts interviewed by AFP said the late identification of an advanced cancer would not be unheard of, even for a former president receiving top-of-the-line medical care.
“We can’t rule out the possibility that it was an aggressive form that developed quickly,” said Natacha Naoun, an oncologist with France’s Gustave-Roussy Institute.
Annual PSA screening after the age of 70 is not universally recommended.
The US Preventive Services Task Force advises against it, reasoning that the risk of false positives and the harms from biopsies and treatment outweigh the benefits.
“It could be they decided to stop checking PSA annually, and then he had urinary symptoms,” said Russell Pachynski, an oncologist with Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, who told AFP that prostate cancer patients do not always experience telltale pains or signs.
It is also possible that Biden was undergoing routine screenings, but that those checks failed to turn up indications of cancer, Pachynski said.
“Maybe it was just unlucky that his particular cancer didn’t express a lot of PSA and he still had a normal PSA. In that setting, you would not go checking the prostate or do a biopsy, etcetera, unless it was driven by symptoms.”
Otis Brawley, an oncologist and epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, said studies have shown both PSA testing and rectal exams are imperfect.
“It is not unusual for a man to be diagnosed with metastatic prostate disease despite normal annual screening,” he told AFP. “This is part of the limitations of prostate screening.”


One SDF fighter killed in attack by Daesh in eastern Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forces said on Monday that one of its fighters was killed and another injured in an attack by Daesh.
The Syrian Democratic Forces said on Monday that one of its fighters was killed and another injured in an attack by Daesh.
Updated 23 min 2 sec ago
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One SDF fighter killed in attack by Daesh in eastern Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forces said on Monday that one of its fighters was killed and another injured in an attack by Daesh.
  • SDF reached an agreement in March to integrate with the Syrian government
  • Syria’s new authorities have clashed with Daesh fighters, particularly in the east

CAIRO: The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia group led by Kurdish fighters, said on Monday that one of its fighters was killed and another injured in an attack by Daesh in Syria’s eastern Deir el-Zor region.
The SDF was the main fighting force allied to the United States in Syria during fighting that defeated Daesh in 2019 after the group declared a caliphate across swathes of Syria and Iraq.
The SDF reached an agreement in March to integrate with the Syrian government, now led by former militants who toppled President Bashar Assad last year.
Syria’s new authorities have clashed with Daesh fighters, particularly in the east. Last month, Daesh killed five SDF fighters in one of the deadliest recent attacks against the group.