1964 United States Embassy in Libreville bombings

The United States Embassy in Libreville, Gabon was bombed on 5 March 1964 and again on 7 March.

Background

Two weeks before the bombings, Gabon had undergone an abortive coup d'etat which overthrew its president, Leon M'ba. Following the coup, some Gabonese mistakenly identified the United States as a co-conspirator in the coup.citation|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/197659472.html?dids=197659472:197659472&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=APR+08%2C+1964&author=By+Russell+Warren+Howe+The+Washington+Post+Foreign+Service&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Election+Sunday+to+Test+French+'Counter-Coup'+in+Gabon&pqatl=google|title=Election Sunday to Test French "Counter-Coup" in Gabon|last=Howe|first=Russell Warren|date=7 April 1964|newspaper=The Washington Post|pages=p. D7|accessdate=8 September 2008] "Time" asserted that French officials helped spread the rumor of American involvement in the coup.citation|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,940365,00.html |title=Sure Cure for Sterility|date=27 March 1964|accessdate=10 August 2008|magazine=Time]

Bombings

On 5 March, William F. Courtney, deputy chief of the embassy, received a call from a man identifying himself as DuPont and demanding all Americans to leave Gabon. Two other phone calls threatening an imminent attack were received by the United States Information Service. During a rainstorm about 8:15 that night, a small bomb exploded outside the embassy. The explosion, which occurred at a time when the building was closed and locked, resulted in damage to the embassy sign and the cracking of two windows.citation|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50A12FD395415738DDDAE0894DB405B848AF1D3|title=Americans Score French in Gabon|date=7 March 1964|newspaper=The New York Times|page=3|accessdate=7 September 2008]

Following the bombing, French Gabonese made more threatening phone calls to the embassy.citation|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70711FF3A5C147A93C3A81788D85F408685F9|title=French-African Bitterness Is Increasing in Gabon|last=Garrison|first=Lloyd|date=11 March 1964|newspaper=The New York Times|pages=p. 15|accessdate=7 September 2008] A second bomb exploded roughly 50 feet the embassy two nights later, causing no damage. A drive-by shooting, during which at least five rounds of buckshot were fired from a 12-gauge automatic shotgun, riddled the second story windows with over 30 holes. William Courtney, the American "charge d'affaires", noticed two Europeans in a Simca automobile drive past the embassy at roughly 9:20 PM, one hour before the shooting and bombing. An unnamed American official said that he saw a car circle the embassy 10 minutes after the bombing. Two Gabonese policemen were assigned to protect the building, and M'ba ordered an investigation into the bombings.citation|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0916FD355E147A93C2A81788D85F408685F9 |title=Gunmen in Gabon Rake U.S. Mission: Whites Again Bomb Building in Former French State -- Nobody Is Injured|last=Garrison|first=Lloyd|date=10 March 1964|newspaper=The New York Times|page=1–5|accessdate=8 September 2008] He denounced the allegations against Americans, saying:

References