36. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt1
3117. You should at once see General Amer and orally give him following. You should convey same to Nasser soonest after his return.
[Page 55]Legally constituted Government of Lebanon, a country which is friend of US, is currently object of effort to destroy its authority and bring about its overthrow by promotion of insurrection. We have received from source independent of GOL circumstantial information that those engaged in this subversive effort in Lebanon are being aided by elements and arms from UAR territory. US has for some time been committed to assist Lebanon to maintain its independence and integrity, and Lebanon has been reassured of this. There should be no doubt whatsoever that US intends to live up to this commitment. US desires UAR to know this in order to be better able evaluate consequences of actions which may be carried on against integrity of Lebanon from UAR territory.
In view of what Nasser told US Ambassador March 202 re his grave concern about possibility confessional strife and armed conflict in Lebanon and of his statement that last thing he wanted to see was bloodshed in that country we assume that activities to which we are referring are not authorized by government of UAR and we trust that UAR will concur in desirability of putting a stop to them. We also have in mind assurances which Nasser gave US Ambassador April 253 that he desired good relations with USG. We desire UAR government to know that continuation of assistance from UAR territory to subversive efforts being directed against Lebanese Government would be very serious obstacle to betterment of relations between US and UAR which we, like President Nasser, desire.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/5–1558. Top Secret; Niact; [distribution indicator not declassified]. Drafted by Rockwell and approved by Dulles. Repeated to Beirut, Damascus, and London.↩
- See vol. XIII, p. 435.↩
- See ibid., p. 447.↩