Chapter 6: April 18, 1983, Beirut, Lebanon Summary and Analysis

Chapter 6: April 18, 1983, Beirut, Lebanon

The Lebanese Civil War that began in April 1975 was essentially over and therefore no one noticed the old GMC truck that was parked and left running in front of the St. Georges Hotel. Lebanese citizens were returning to Beirut and rebuilding the city that was once the most European and modernized of the Arab cities. After receiving a signal from other conspirators in a passing car, the driver of the truck drove as quickly as he could through the lunch hour traffic to his destination which was the American embassy. The driver ascended the stairs of the building and crashed into the lobby causing an enormous explosion. Seventeen Americans died in the blast including six CIA agents. It was the worst loss in the history of the agency, a loss from...