United States policy in the Middle East and its intervention in Lebanon, 1955-1958

On July 14, 1958, a military coup overthrew the monarchy and pro-Western government of Iraq. Fearing the ripple effect of the coup, the Eisenhower Administration used the moment to land troops in Lebanon, which was in the middle of a civil war. Washington's announcement that the independence of Lebanon was vital to the US national interest was directed at the Soviet Union and Nasser of Egypt.;Coming after the Suez crisis of 1956, the Eisenhower Doctrine was designed to prevent Soviet penetration in the Middle East, and to reaffirm the US commitment to the security of the region. This policy exacerbated tensions in the area and deepened the split between traditional and radical Arab governments.;By endorsing the Eisenhower Doctrine, President Chamoun of Lebanon sought to equate his bid for reelection in 1958 with the future success of US policy in the region. Chamoun's support for the doctrine and his personal ambition increased tension in Lebanon and deepened existing divisions within the country. His domestic and foreign policies conflicted with the interests of Lebanon's traditional leaders, undermined the fragile communal structure, and were at the root of the civil war.;The United States viewed the Lebanese crisis in the context of the Cold War, and took seriously Chamoun's claim that there was interference by the United Arab Republic led by Nasser. The United States treated with caution Chamoun's requests for military intervention in Lebanon, until the crisis in Iraq.;The US landings in Lebanon on July 15, 1958, forced a resolution of the Lebanese crisis. The presence of US troops in Lebanon stabilized the country in preparation for the election of a new President, which then allowed Lebanon to regain its internal balance.;This study analyses (1) the policies of the Eisenhower Administration in the Middle East; (2) the Lebanese civil war and its root causes, showing how the internal politics of even a small state like Lebanon can be caught up in the larger context of US global interests, and (3) discusses the US response to the Lebanese civil war, in light of the coup in Iraq.