Operation Urgent Fury: US Invades Grenada

The US invaded Grenada on October 25, 1983, just days after the murder of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop in an internal coup. Reagan cited protection of American medical students as justification, though critics called it primarily an effort to prevent a Marxist government from consolidating power. Around 7,000 US troops participated. The UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling the invasion a 'flagrant violation of international law' by a vote of 108–9.