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Human Rights & Democracy for Iran
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Newsletter/updatesFear and Silence: 30th Anniversary of the US Embassy Bombing in BeirutOn April 18, 1983, at approximately 1:05 p.m., a truck loaded with explosives crashed into the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The embassy’s central section collapsed on itself, killing 63 and causing injuries to at least 120 people. Thirty years later, there is little doubt about the fact of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s responsibility in the attack. And yet, efforts to talk to victims or questions about details from experts are marred by fear, lack of interest, and political considerations. Most of the victims of the embassy bombing were not Americans, and it is not an exaggeration to say that there has been little interest in knowing or writing about them. Learning that 27-year-old Ghazi Kabbout, a Shi‘ite from the south of Lebanon and the graduate of a culinary institute, and enjoyed swimming and playing soccer was not easy. The same is true for the 54-year-old embassy employee, Antoine Abi Najem, a father of five, who was born in Damascus, Syria, and married a Lebanese. Abi-Najem was kind-hearted family man who loved to surprise his wife by buying her sweets, even when the budget was tight. Secrecy and silence about crimes such as the embassy bombing may be, for those who hold on to information or prefer to forget, a means to ensure security. The facts, however, show that silence did not ensure security. In the decade following the bombing of the embassy, the Islamic Republic’s leaders used bombings and targeted civilians, time and again, to advance their foreign policy goals. And they have boasted about their successes in Lebanon. |
A Story from the Memorial
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Human Rights LibraryLatest additions to the collection — April 15, 2013:
Iran in PerspectiveIn-depth analysis of political issues in Iran. |
Copyright © 2013, Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation
