Operation Urgent Fury

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"The United Nations deeply deplores the armed intervention in Grenada, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of that State." —United Nations on Operation Urgent Fury

Operation Urgent Fury (also known as the Invasion of Grenada) was the 1983 invasion of the small Caribbean island of Grenada - a nation with a population of just over 100,000 - by the United States of America.

Grenada gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1974, but a 1979 revolution by the Marxist-Leninist New Jewel Movement suspended the constitution and invited Cuban military forces into the island. After a 1983 internal power struggle ended with the deposition and execution of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, the invasion began on October 25, 1983. A combined force of troops from the United States (nearly 10,000 troops), Jamaica and members of the Regional Security System (approximately 300 troops) defeated Grenadan and Cuban resistance and the military government of Hudson Austin was deposed.

The United States cited the communist presence (particularly of Cuban military forces) as a justification to invade. They supported this claim by citing the alliance between the Grenadan regime and Castroite Cuba and the construction of airstrip they considered suspicious because it was too long for the civilian use it was nominally claimed to be for but long enough to base Soviet-make heavy bombers off of. The true justification for the invasion was stated to be the presence of a hotel near the airstrip housing a few US students, and the supposed risk that they faced.

The invasion rapidly deposed the communist regime, and instituted a provisional government under American occupation. 160 Grenadian soldiers and 71 Cubans were killed in the invasion, originally reported as 59 total by American forces. The American military assault was, however, unorganized in and cited many places to improve.

The United Nations General Assembly condemned the act by a vote of 122 to 9. The invasion was claimed to be an obvious violation of international law, and Britain, China, the USSR and Canada in particular condemned the act for displaying a complete disregard by the American government for international law. Specifically, British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher was bothered as President Ronald Reagan had personally assured her the United States would not invade Grenada mere days before doing so. Arguments still rage today over the issue.

The airport that was "too long for civilian use" was completed in 1984, is used for civilian aircraft, and is just as long as was planned for before the invasion.