46. Editorial Note
In briefing the National Security Council on May 22 on significant world developments affecting United States security, Allen Dulles offered the following assessment of developments in Lebanon:
“As for the situation in Lebanon, said Mr. Allen Dulles, the reports regarding internal developments were not very encouraging. While Beirut was fairly quiet, Tripoli was still a standoff between the Army and the rebels. The Syrian border was still wide open, and there was a steady infiltration of Syrians. Thus the situation had shown no improvement in the last few days. The forces available to the government in Lebanon were quite small. There were 9000 men in the Army and 2500 in the gendarmérie.
“The Chief of Staff, General Chehab, has been busy dabbling in politics, and last night tried and failed to form a Cabinet. With respect to the struggle over a possible second term for President Chamoun, Mr. Dulles pointed out that Chamoun was by all odds the strongest man among a pretty weak lot of Lebanese politicians. Mr. Dulles felt that Chamoun would probably agree not to be a candidate again for the Presidency if he could be assured of a strongly pro-Western substitute for himself. Otherwise, Chamoun felt that Lebanon would be lost to Nasser.
“There was a good deal of political maneuvering going on in characteristic Near Eastern fashion. Some reports indicated that Nasser was favoring the candidacy of Chehab for the Presidency of Lebanon. If true, this should give us some significant second thoughts as to the desirability of Chehab as an alternate to Chamoun for the Presidency of Lebanon.” (Memorandum of discussion at the 366th Meeting of the National Security Council, prepared by Gleason May 23; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)