II. The Decision to Introduce U.S. Forces Into Lebanon, June 10–July 17, 1958: Establishment of the U.N. Observation Group; Chamoun’s Rejection of Nasser’s Formula for Settlement; Lebanon’s Request for Military Intervention; The U.S.–U.K. Decision to Intervene; Introduction of U.S. Forces
96. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–1858. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London and USUN.
97. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Lebanon
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–1958. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Rountree and Dulles and approved by Dulles. Repeated to London and USUN. Dulles discussed the proposed message with Ambassador Caccia and then called the President and explained that the cable was an attempt to clarify misconceptions on Chamoun’s part growing out of the President’s press conference. He added that it was also an effort to make Chamoun appreciate the gravity of sending Western forces into Lebanon. Eisenhower was not clear what it was he had said that could have produced misconceptions, but he approved the cable. He added that he hoped McClintock could get the message across. “Tell him,” Eisenhower said, “to read it slowly to get every word in it.” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations; included in the microfiche supplement)
98. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2058. Top Secret; Niact; Limited Distribution. Repeated to London and USUN. Received at 10:44 a.m.
99. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles), Washington, June 20, 1958, 5:47 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed in the Secretary’s office by Phyllis D. Bernau.
100. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Minister of the British Embassy (Lord Hood) and the Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Rockwell), Department of State, Washington, June 20, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2058. Top Secret. Drafted by Rockwell.
101. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2058. Confidential. Repeated to Moscow, Cairo, and Beirut.
102. Memorandum of a Conversation, Washington, June 22, 1958, 5 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2258. Top Secret. Drafted by Reinhardt, cleared by Rountree and Wilcox. The source text indicates the conversation took place in the Secretary’s residence on Sunday afternoon. The participants are listed at the end of the memorandum.
103. Letter From the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2358. Secret.
104. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 23, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2358. Top Secret. Drafted by Dorman.
105. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 23, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2358. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Macomber.
106. Memorandum From the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2658. Top Secret. Lodge sent the memorandum to the Department from USUN following his discussion with Hammarskjöld of the results of the Secretary-General’s trip to the Middle East. After meeting with Nasser and Fawzi in Cairo June 22–23, Hammarskjöld went back to Beirut on June 24 for a final discussion with Chamoun before returning to New York on June 26. For background information and public statements relating to Hammarskjöld’s trip, see Public Papers of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, Vol. 4: Dag Hammarskjöld, 1958–1960 (New York, 1974), pp. 106–120.
108. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Minister of the British Embassy (Lord Hood), Department of State, Washington, June 27, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2758. Top Secret. Drafted by Rountree on June 28.
109. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2858. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London, Paris, and USUN.
110. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Lebanon
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–2858. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Rockwell and cleared by Rountree, Deputy Assistant Secretary Frederick W. Jandrey in EUR, and Dulles. Repeated to London, Paris, and USUN. When Rountree telephoned Dulles on the morning of June 28 to obtain his clearance for this telegram, Dulles instructed that the text be changed to solicit Chamoun’s opinion as to the most suitable candidate for the presidency rather than to make reference to U.S. efforts to help facilitate the election of a suitable candidate. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations; included in the microfiche supplement)
111. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 30, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/6–3058. Top Secret. Drafted by Sisco on July 1. The conversation was summarized in telegram 5097 to Beirut, June 30. (Ibid.)
112. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–158. Top Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution.
113. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 2, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–258. Top Secret. Drafted on July 7 by Sisco. A summary of this conversation was sent to Beirut in telegram 31, July 2. (Ibid.)
114. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–358. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted in NEA by H.M. Symmes. Cleared by Rockwell, Rountree, and Reinhardt, and in the JCS with General Twining. Repeated to Beirut.
115. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Minister of the British Embassy (Lord Hood) and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree), Department of State, Washington, July 3, 1958
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–358. Top Secret. Drafted by Dale.
116. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 7, 1958, 1:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Dulles. The source text indicates that the conversation took place over lunch. Hammarskjöld was visiting Washington in connection with the release on July 3 of the first report of the U.N. Observation Group in Lebanon. The report established the problems for effective observation created by a difficult terrain, and by the fact that access to the border by U.N. observers was only established for the 18 miles of the border controlled by government forces. (UN doc. S/4040; printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1958, pp. 952–958) In commenting on the report, Hammarskjöld discounted allegations of massive infiltration of men and arms into Lebanon from Syria. (The New York Times, July 4, 1958)
117. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 7, 1958, 2:25 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/7–758. Secret. Drafted by Rountree.
118. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Lebanon
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–858. Top Secret. Drafted by Rockwell and cleared by Rountree and Dulles. Repeated to London, Paris, and USUN.
119. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–1058. Top Secret. Repeated to London, Paris, and USUN.
120. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–1258. Top Secret. Repeated to London, Paris, Cairo, and USUN.
121. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–1458. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated to London, Paris, Cairo, Ankara, Baghdad, Amman, Tel Aviv, Jidda, Damascus, and USUN. Received at 8:35 a.m. and passed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force at 9:30 a.m.
122. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, July 14, 1958, 8:29 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed in the Secretary’s office by Phyllis D. Bernau.
123. Memorandum for the Record of a Meeting, Department of State, Washington, July 14, 1958, 9:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.00/7–1458. Secret. Drafted by Greene. The meeting took place in advance of a 10:50 a.m. meeting at the White House with the President; see infra.
124. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, July 14, 1958, 10:50 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster. Another memorandum of this conversation was prepared by Rockwell. (Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–1458) Presidential Assistant Robert Cutler also prepared extensive notes on the meeting. (Ibid.) Both are included in the microfiche supplement.
125. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–1458. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated to London, Paris, Cairo, Ankara, Baghdad, Amman, Tel Aviv, Jidda, Damascus, and USUN. Received 11:23 a.m. and passed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force at 11:30 a.m.