October 21, 1983 – U.S. Invasion of Grenada: The United States is asked to intervene in Grenada

On October 21, 1983, the Organization of Eastern CaribbeanStates asked the United Statesto intervene militarily in Grenada,fearing that the political instability in that island could spread across the Caribbean region. The United States Armed Forces then revised its plan from an evacuationto include an invasion of Grenada.

Diagram showing location of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea and just north of the South American mainland. Grenada consists of the main island (Grenada) and six very small islands located in its northern and southern ends.

The U.S.military identified three targets for the invasion: Point Salines, Pearls Airportin Grenville, and St. George’s.  Just before dawn on October 25, 1983, abattalion of U.S. Rangers was airdropped at the Point Salines Airport constructionsite.  The soldiers succeeded in takingcontrol of the facility.  The Rangersoriginally were planned to be landed by plane; the plan was aborted when U.S.reconnaissance detected that the airport runway was littered withobstacles.  The anti-aircraft gunfirefrom the Grenadian defenses was silenced by strikes from U.S. helicoptergunships.  The U.S. Rangers soon securedand cleared the Point Salines Airportsite, allowing American planes to land more troops, weapons, and supplies.

(Taken from U.S. Invasion of Grenada – Wars of the 20th Century – Volume 2)

Background Grenada is a small island country located in the southeastern section of the Caribbean Sea (Map 36).  In 1974, the country gained its independence from the United Kingdom and thereafter experienced a period of political unrest starting with the contentious general elections of 1976.  After the 1976 elections, a government was formed, which imposed repressive policies to curb political opposition and dissent.  Then on March 13, 1979, communist politicians staged a coup that overthrew the government.

A socialist government was formed led by Maurice Bishop, whotook the position of prime minister.  Thenew government opened diplomatic relations with communist countries.  In particular, Grenadabecame allied with Cuba andthe Soviet Union, and supported their foreignpolicy initiatives.  Prime MinisterBishop dissolved the Grenadian constitution, banned elections and multi-partypolitics, and suppressed free expression and all forms of dissent.

The government began many social and economic projects,which ultimately proved successful.  Forinstance, sound financial policies allowed Grenada’s economy to grow andreduce the country’s dependence on imported goods.  The government made major advances inupgrading the educational system, health care, and socialized housingprograms.  Public infrastructure projectswere implemented.

Despite being officially socialist, the Grenadian governmentmaintained its traditional ties to the West. Grenada retained its British Commonwealth membership, with Queen Elizabeth IIas its symbolic head of state, and the British-inherited position of GovernorGeneral being maintained.  Westernforeign investments were encouraged, and investors from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada – among other countries –operated freely in the islands.  Foreigntourists, who brought in substantial revenues to the local economy, were welcomedby the Grenadian government.

However, hardliners in Grenada’s communist party (calledthe New Jewel Movement) disagreed with Prime Minister Bishop’s double-sidedpolicies.  They demanded that he stepdown from office or agree to rule jointly with staunch communist partymembers.  Prime Minister Bishop rejectedboth suggestions.  On October 12, 1983,the communist hardliners overthrew the government in a coup, and Prime MinisterBishop and other high-ranking government officials were arrested and jailed.  A military council was formed to rule thecountry.

Widespread street protests and demonstrations broke out as aresult of the coup, as Prime Minister Bishop was extremely popular with thepeople.  The protesters demanded thatBishop be set free.  Bishop’s militarycaptors acquiesced, and released the ex-prime minister.  But in the ensuing chaos, government troopsopened fire on the protesters, killing perhaps up to a hundred persons.  Bishop and other top government officialswere rounded up and executed by firing squad.

The U.S.administration of President Ronald Reagan, following the events in Grenada with grave concern, believed that Cuba hadplanned the overthrow of Prime Minister Bishop’s moderately socialistgovernment in order to install a staunchly communist regime.  The United States believed that Cubawould then take full control of Grenada.  Four years earlier in 1979, when theGrenadian communists took over power, U.S.president Jimmy Carter’s government had moved diplomatically to isolate Grenada by stopping U.S. military support anddiscouraging Americans from travelling there.

But President Reagan took an aggressive approach against Grenada: he ordered joint military exercises andmock amphibious operations in U.S.-allied countries in the Caribbeanregion.  He also warned of Soviet-Cubanexpansionism in the Western Hemisphere.  Of particular concern to President Reagan wasthe construction of an airport at Point Salines at the southern tip of Grenada, which the U.S. military believed would be aSoviet airbase because its extended runway could land big, long-range Russianbombers.  The U.S.government surmised that the Soviets planned to use Grenadaas a forward base to supply communists in Central America, i.e. the Sandinistagovernment in Nicaragua andthe communist rebels in El Salvadorand Guatemala.  Increasing the Americans’ suspicion was thepresence of Cuban construction workers at the Point Salines site – after thewar, the U.S.military learned that these were Cuban Army soldiers.

However, the Grenadian government insisted that the PointSalines facility would be used as an international airport for commercialairliners.  As diplomatic relationsdeteriorated between the United Statesand Grenada, PresidentReagan ordered the evacuation of American citizens living in Grenada, the majority of whom were the 800medical students enrolled at the American-owned St. George’s University.  The U.S. government feared for thesafety of the students, as the Grenadian Army had posted soldiers at the schoolgrounds and a nighttime curfew had been imposed on the island, with ashoot-to-kill order imposed against violators. As commercial flights to Grenadawere cancelled already, President Reagan decided that the U.S. Armed Forcesshould implement the evacuation.