University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

Page 23 text:

MID-EAST CONFLICTS RED SEA: The Red Sea, between the Sinai Penninsula and Northern Africa, is another major oil tanker route. When tankers began reporting mine damage while in the Suez Canal, the major oil-dependant powers immediately went into action. Naval minesweepers from the United States, Britain, France, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia descended on the area, clearing several dozen mines. The group, Islamic Holy War, which claimed responsibility for the embassy bomb- ings in Beirut, took credit for the minings. LEBANON: Tragedy repeated itself in Beirut in 1984, as another U.S. Embassy suffered a terrorist bombing attack. In September 1984, TNT-laden station wagon raced through a hail of gunfire at the gate of the U.S. Embassy Annex, and barreled toward the building. A visiting British Embassy guard opened fire from his vehicle, killing the driver. The station wagon swerved into a car parked in front of the annex and exploded, killing 12 people and injuring 60. Two of the dead were U.S. servicemen, and the others were Le- banese visitors and employees. The attack caused a furor at home. President Reagan said in an emergency press conference following the attack that security at the annex had been adequate, and that there was little the U.S. could do about preventing kamikaze attacks on U.S. diplomats. The controversy eventually became a major issue in the 1984 presidential race. This forced the passage of an emergency funding bill to strengthen the security of U.S. embassies. AN UNIDENTIFIED MARINE re- |j ceives first aid from members of the Lebanese Red Cross following the a bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy z East Beirut Annex. BODIES LITTER THE streets of Tripoli surrounding Muammar Ka- dafy ' s residence following an un- successful assassination attempt. 19

Page 22 text:

RED SEA, PERSIAN GULF, BEIRUT ENDURE MID-EAST CONFLICTS Not surprisingly, the Middle East was again at the fore- front of the news in 1984. Mines in the Red Sea, the expan- sion of the Iran-Iraq war into the Persian Gulf, an assassina- tion attempt on a Libyan leader, and another U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut simply added to the decades-old list of casualties in the Middle East. PERSIAN GULF: In April 1984, air attacks on tankers near the Iranian oil terminal on Kharg Island made it clear that the Iranians and the Iraqis had extended their war to the Persian Gulf, attacking civilian traffic to and from each oth- er ' s ports in hopes of choking off each other ' s economic bases. Tankers from many nations, including several U.S. allies, were attacked. The Iraqis were especially efficient in their attacks, using the Falklands War-proven Exocet mis- sile. LIBYA: Libyan dictator Muammar Khadafy survived an assassination attempt at his home in Tripoli in May 1984. The London-based National Front for the Salvation of Libya took credit for the attack, describing it as retaliation for the April incident at the Libyan embassy in London. FIREBOATS HOSE DOWN the Saudi Arabian tanker Al Ahood after being hit by an Iraqi missile. The Iraqi Exocets were highly ef- fective anti-shipping weapons. LIKE A NIGHTMARE repeated, the U.S. Embassy East Beirut annex lay in ruins after an explosive-laden truck blew up in front of the build- ing, killing two American service- men. ?-f ' iEm B B M t!

Page 24 text:

THE GOLDEN TEMPLE in Amritsar provided a peaceful sanctuary for Sikh separatist larnail Bhindran- wale (center) until an attack by In- dian Army troops killed him. INDIA IN TURMOIL 1984 was a violent year for India, a year which culminated in the death of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Al- though her death was mourned by millions, few were sur- prised by it. The chain of events leading to Gandhi ' s death began in the northern Indian state of Punjab. In this predominately Sikh state, a Sikh leader named Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was waging a terrorist campaign against the Indian government aimed at making Punjab an independent Sikh nation. For his headquarters and arsenal, he chose the Golden Temple, lo- cated in the city of Amritsar in Punjab. The Golden Temple was the Sikh ' s holiest shrine. When Bhindranwale ' s raids became serious, pressure be- gan to mount on Gandhi to take action. In early June, 1984, two battalions of Indian Army commandos surrounded the temple under cover of darkness and stormed the shrine at sunrise in hopes of forcing Bhindranwale ' s people to surren- der. Instead, the raid became a full-scale battle, killing over 70 troops and 350 Sikh separatists. Bhindranwale and many of his chief aides died in the attack. However, Gandhi lost more than the 70 troops. Outraged at the attack on their most sacred temple, many previously- moderate Sikhs took to the streets in protest, calling for Gandhi to step down. Many predominately-Sikh military units, called to quell the riots, deserted and joined the pro- tests. Although calm was restored, many predicted Gandhi ' s days were numbered. WIDESPREAD RIOTING ERUPTS in New Dehli after Indira Ghandi ' s death was announced. Over 500 people, mostly Sikhs, died in the first week of rioting in the capital. WITNESSES CARRY AWAY the body of a man trampled to death in the crush to view Gandhi ' s body. Over a dozen Indians died in the rush to pay respect to Gandhi. 20 NEWS