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CNN 20: U.S. Embassy Bombing, April 18, 1983

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: "CNN 20" today, a look back at the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN TOWRISS, DEPUTY BUREAU CHIEF, WASHINGTON: I remember being out at the Marine barracks, which in fact, itself was later blown up. But being at the Marine barracks for a briefing that morning from a -- some sort of military officer. The rumor had begun to circulate that back downtown that the U.S. embassy had been blown up, and we just thought: Well, that's just unbelievable news, if that were true. Though, mind you, we're in Beirut, where there were probable two to three car bombs a day that went off.

As we approached downtown, sure enough, we could see a column of smoke from downtown. We thought, well, gee, maybe something did happen. So we fought our way through, down to the embassy, only to find this horrifying picture of the flat facade of the embassy having been blown off. And, as we walked through the rubble, literally probably about 20 minutes after it happened, still smoke in the air, unbelievable chaos. You cannot possibly describe the chaotic scene that exists right after an explosion like that.

And the Red Cross workers were trying to get out. And people were trying to clear rubble, and people staggering out of other parts of the building. And there were so many different military groups that operated in Beirut, as it was, no one was really in charge.

And it was a horrifying scene that became a very significant story at that time. And we had no idea that that was the beginning of several horrible events there for the U.S. military.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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