Encompass: A Journal of Military History
Vol. I   No. 1
February 2004

Grenada: Reckless Fury?

By Tristan Abbey

[Editor's Note: The following article is a preview of Project Wise Men, a new initiative of the Associates of Military History. This program seeks to combat popular myths about the Cold War through careful research and analysis.]

            Many of those who criticize the Bush administration’s policy of preemptive regime change assert that the invasion of Iraq was not the first time the United States overthrew a recognized foreign government. Some contend that the 1983 invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, is an example of American unilateralism Reagan-style. To the contrary, the historical record demonstrates that the operation amounted to a well-reasoned strategic move in what former CIA director Robert Gates called in his memoirs “the most dangerous year.”

            One of the more prevalent beliefs is that President Reagan launched Urgent Fury on October 25 as a means to save face following the October 23 bombing of U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon. This theory goes further, positing that a relief force destined for Beirut changed course to Grenada following the barracks bombing. While anger over this attack probably influenced the decision to give the final go-ahead, and American prestige reasserted itself following victory, a chronological examination reveals that there must have been something more to motive than wounded pride. According to an unclassified Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) report, “contingency planning for noncombatant evacuation” began on October 12.[1] The JCS also issued a warning order on October 19, preparing for “the worst scenario.” The naval force originally headed to Lebanon, in fact, did change course to Grenada, but did so days before October 23. In addition, the Carter administration had expressed “concern about the growing Cuban presence” on Grenada as early as May 1979.[2]

            In truth, there was a substantial international communist presence on Grenada, placing that island within the Soviet sphere of influence well before October 1983. The USSR had been pouring millions of dollars worth of military equipment onto the island. Cuba assisted with construction of an airport. Libya, North Korea, Czechoslovakia, and North Vietnam were also tied through aid.[3] Expansion of the state militia produced further anxiety. In the years immediately prior to the Reagan administration, the USSR and Cuba had been exporting revolution throughout the world, Grenada being only one front. By 1983, the White House was eager to turn the tide.

            A chain of events led to broad multilateral support for an invasion. Marxist leader Maurice Bishop was toppled in a coup on October 12 and killed the following week in a massacre. According to Scott Palter, chairman of the board of advisors at Project Wise Men, “the trigger [of Urgent Fury] was the coup and following chaos.” On October 21, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) requested American intervention, and shortly thereafter imposed sanctions on Grenada. In addition, forces from Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Jamaica participated in the invasion.[4] Needless to say, more nations cooperated in Operation Urgent Fury than did in Operation Overlord.

            While the specific planning of Urgent Fury has often been criticized as confusing and dangerous, those who bemoan the decision itself have little foundation. The operation was not a reaction to an unrelated event in Lebanon; rather, the West’s superpower acted within an international effort to restore peace and prevent communist expansion in what was by necessity a short (and admittedly convenient) timeframe.

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