Abstract:
The 1983 terrorist bombing of the US Marines barracks in Lebanon, in addition to its tragic toll of 241 dead, has become a quintessential case about the conditions under which military intervention may not be effective.
Learning Objective:
This case frames the political and military dilemmas faced by President Ronald Reagan, as he considered whether to withdraw the Marines in the wake of the attack. More broadly, it allows for discussion of when and how military intervention can serve geopolitical goals, as well as discussion of domestic political aspects of foreign military involvement. Overall, a forerunner of dilemmas faced in the post-Cold War world more generally.
