COMMENTS ON BOMBING OF U.S. EMBASSY IN LEBANON

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05245505
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2020
• Case Number: F-2019-00123
• Publication Date: April 18, 1983

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S ENS IT IVE
SITUATION LISTING
SITUATION: LE3
SUBJECT CATAGORY: SIT
MESSAGE / ANNOTATION:
MESSAGE:
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DATE 06/29/83/1180
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
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S E T NOFORN
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
wNINTEL (b)(3)
�04A RNI NG : I NE ORM A ION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
RE PORT CLASS S E R F T--WNINTFL--NOFORN-- (b)(3)
COUNTRY: LEBANON
cll.-, IF CT- COMfr'eNTS ON BOMBING OF U.S. EMBASSY IN LEBANON
TEXT: 1. THE ISLAMIC JIHAD ORGANIZATION (MUNZ AMA T AL�
JIHAD AL�I SLAMI) WHICH CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOMBING
OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BEIRUT IS MOST PROBABLY A SMALL.
GROUP OF LEBANESE SHI'A YOUTHS WHO OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY
FROM. THE SHI "rA AMAL ORGANIZATION OF NABIH ((BARI) ), FROM
LEBANESE SKI -A SPIRITUAL LEADER SHAYKH MUHAMMAD MAHDI
( (SHAMS�AL�DIN)) AND EVEN INDEPENDENTLY FROM SHI *.A RADICAL
PAGE 3 RUE AI IA SECRETNOFORN WNINTEL 1(b)(3)
HUSAYN ( (MUSAWI)) . BECAUSE THE INVOLVEMENT OF A LARGE
LEBANESE SHI 'A GROUP SUCH AS MUSAWI 'S MAY HAVE COMPROMISE D
SENSITIVE
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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SITUATION LISTING
SITUATION: LEO
SUBJECT CATAGORY: SIT
MESSAGE / ANNOTATION:
THE OPERATION, IT IS THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF OPERATION COULD
ONLY HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT BY A SMALL, CLANDESTINE CELL OF
SHI-A MUJAHIDEN. IN ITS TELEPHONE CALL TO THE AGENCY FRANCE
PRESS, THE ISLAMIC JIHAD ORGANIZATION REFERRED TO THE
BOMBINGS OF THE EMBASSY AS THE "WA AL-FAJR" OPERATION. THIS
IS THE SAME NAME GIVEN TO THE MOST RECENT IRANIAN OFFENSIVE
AGAINST IRAQ. THEREFORE, IT IS THOUGHT THE GROUP RESPONSIBLE
IS PRO-IRANIAN. THE POSSIBILITY THE SMALL LEBANESE DA"WA
PARTY LED BY SHAYKH MUHAMMAD SAYE ((FADALLAH)) CARRIED
OUT THE OPERATION, HOWEVER, SHOULD NOT RE DISCOUNTED.
COMMENT: THERE ARE NO HARD FACTS YET TO SUPPORT THE (b)(1)
CLAIA THAT RADICAL LEBANESE SHI'A MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR (b)(3)
THE ATTACK.)
2. LEBANESE SHI�A WHO ARE PRO-IRANIAN AND ANTI-IRAQI
ARE THOUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK ON THE U.S.
MARINE PATROLS IN LATE MARCH SOUTH OF BEIRUT. IT IS NOT A
COINCIDENCE THAT THE ONLY MULTINATIONAL FORCE (MNF) PATROLS
PAGE 4 RUEAIIA SECRETNOFORN WNINTEL (b)(3)
WHICH HAVE BEEN ATTACKED ARE AMERICAN AND FRENCH. THESE
PRO-IRANIAN SHI'A ATTACKED A FRENCH MNF PATROL BECAUSE OF THE
OFFICIAL FRENCH SUPPORT FOR IRAQ IN ITS WAR EFFORT AGAINST
IRAN. COMMENT: FRENCH ARMS SALES TO IRAQ ARE THE (b)(1)
PRIMARY REASON PRO-IRANIAN LEBANESE SHI'A WOULD ATTACK THE (b)(3)
FRENCH MNF CONTINGENT.)
3. THERE IS NO SOLID EVIDENCE, BUT IT IS SUSPECTED
THESE SMALL LEBANESE SHI-A GROUPS OBTAIN WEAPONS AND
EXPLOSIVES FROM SYRIAN INTELLIGENCE TO ENABLE THEM TO
CARRY OUT OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAQI INTERESTS IN LEBANON.
THE EXPLOSIVES USED FOR THE DECEMBER 1981 BOMBING OF THE
IRAQI EMBASSY IN BEIRUT WERE SUPPLIED BY THE SYRIANS AND
THE OPERATION WAS CARRIED OUT BY THREE IRAQIS RECRUITED BY
PRO-IRANIAN LEBANESE SHI"A.
A. THERE ARE SHI"A YOUTHS FROM SOUTH LEBANON WHO ARE
COMMITTED MUSLIMS WILLING TO SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES IN
A HOLY WAR (JIHAD) AGAINST ISLAM-S ENEMIES. THE APPARENT
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SUICIDAL ATTACK AGAINST THE U.S. EMBASSY INDICATES THE
INVOLVEMENT OF THIS TYPE OF DEDICATED SHI-A IN SUCH AN
OPERATION.
5. FUTURE TARGETS OF PRO-IRANIAN SHI'A ATTACKS IN
BEIRUT COULD BE THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT, THE
JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER AND THE U.S. ANNEXES IN BEIRUT
WHICH APE IDENTIFIED WITH THE UNITED STATES.
DATE 06129/831/1B0
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
SENSITIVE
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SITUATION: LE6
SUBJECT CATAGCRY: SIT
DATE 06/29/83//180
MESSgGE / ANNOTATION:
WARNING: REPORT CLASSSECRET--WARNING NOTICE-INTELLIGENCE
SOURCES OR METHODS INVOLVED�NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN
NATIONALS-
DFCL: F3Y RECORDED REPORTING OFFICER.
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