1986 Berlin discotheque bombing facts for kids
On April 5, 1986, a nightclub called La Belle was bombed in West Berlin. Three people died, and about 230 others were hurt. Many of the people at the club were United States soldiers. Two of the people who died and 79 of those injured were American soldiers.
The bomb was placed under a table near the DJ's booth. It exploded at 1:45 AM. A Turkish woman named Nermin Hannay and a US Army soldier named Kenneth T. Ford died right away. Another American soldier, James E. Goins, died two months later from his injuries. Some people who were hurt were left with lasting disabilities.
The US Response
The US government believed that Libya had supported the bombing. Ten days after the attack, US President Ronald Reagan ordered air strikes. These attacks targeted the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi in Libya.
Reports said that 15 to 30 people died in these air strikes. This included the adopted daughter of Libya's leader, Colonel Gaddafi. Many countries, through the United Nations General Assembly, did not agree with President Reagan's actions.
Who Was Responsible?
In 2001, a court case in the US looked into the bombing. The court found that the attack had been planned by the Libyan secret service and the Libyan Embassy.
