Original scientific paper
The Funnel Effect: Failure of the United States’ Involvement in Lebanon 1982-1984
Ante Lucic
Abstract
While the United States remains involved in Iraq and Afghanistan, perhaps it would be useful to reflect upon one of its past involvements: The War of Lebanon. Also referred to as the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), it was one of the most complex conflicts in the modern Middle Eastern history. In its culminating period (1982-1984) the United States became involved within the multinational peacekeeping framework. In the same period Lebanon also saw the involvement of Israel and Syria. In the persisting anarchy and chaos, the U.S. authorities failed to properly plan the mission, despite the U.S.’s technological, military, intelligence, and diplomatic superiority. The U.S. under Reagan Administration did not understand the complex Lebanese political and wartime reality; they underestimated the threats; and most importantly, failed to be neutral peacekeepers. To easily observe this complex period and tragic events that took place, I propose an allegoric comparison of the features of the Marine’s mission failure to that of a funnel. Any funnel normally has broad and narrow parts. When this set of features is attached to the Mission in Lebanon, it becomes rather clear that from the outset, the U.S. involvement suffered from general, broad, and very fundamental shortcomings. These discrepancies, such as the ones within their general approach, policy, unawareness of complexities, and a burden of unwisely chosen alliances, translated into “narrow parts” i.e. specific situations in the field, which made it impossible for the mission to be carried out successfully and safely. As a result of political discrepancies, disunited American leadership, and the abovementioned shortcomings, the U.S. Marines could not adapt to Lebanon’s ruthless environment. Hence they were exposed to brutal terrorist attacks, the deadliest of which took place in October 1983, when the headquarters of the Marine Battalion Landing Team were heavily bombed. 241 Marines died in this attack, and shortly after, the U.S. was forced to withdraw its forces, which altogether made this mission a failure.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
59142
URI
Publication date:
14.9.2009.
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