Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Lebanon and Jordan, Volume XI

65. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, June 9, 1958, 3 p.m.¹

Washington, June 9, 1958, 3 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Situation in Lebanon

PARTICIPANTS

• U.S.
  • The President
  • The Secretary
  • Mr. Allen Dulles
  • Mr. Dillon
  • Mr. Reinhardt
  • Mr. Elbrick
  • Mr. Rountree
  • General Goodpaster
  • Mr. Dale
• U.K.
  • The Prime Minister
  • Ambassador Caccia
  • Sir Norman Brook
  • Sir Patrick Dean
  • Lord Hood
  • Mr. Willie Morris
  • Mr. Frederick Bishop

The Secretary pointed out that we have aid for Lebanon reasonably well in hand. Mr. Rountree confirmed this statement with regard to the present situation, but pointed out that just prior to the present hostilities Lebanon had announced the intention of asking for $170 million in aid over a period of six years. He said that we have recently offered Lebanon an attractive package composed of development loan fund help, technical assistance and aid under Public Law 480, designed to meet political as well as economic needs. He pointed out, however, that we can not progress much further with this until the present situation in Lebanon is clarified. As regards the immediate problem of help to the government in its crisis, Mr. Rountree believed that we were progressing well on the covert side where greater flexibility is required in the use of money.

The Secretary said that he does not believe Chamoun will hold on for a second term and hence will not be in power beyond September. In all probability we need now to find a vigorous successor to support who will be friendly to the West. The Prime Minister said that in his view the situation was very dangerous. There was already great strain upon the government and it might not be easy to find a successor to Chamoun who would work with us in the same way. The President commented that so many leaders in that area say they are friendly to the West but when confronted with anti-Western forces refuse to fight. However, he noted that General Chehab appeared somewhat more active in the last couple of days. Mr. Rountree added that General Chehab is using napalm bombs and is taking other forceful military measures which indicate that the government and army consider they are now playing for keeps. The Prime Minister expressed his belief that it would be very hard to keep Chamoun in power for a second term and the President agreed with him saying that if we should try, we would be asking for even more rebellion, since it was Chamoun who provided the spark in the present situation.

Mr. Rountree estimated that Chehab might be willing to succeed Chamoun and that he might be the best choice even though he has recently shown a lack of political astuteness. He pointed out that there really are very few suitable candidates from our point of view and of those who exist Chehab and the Edde brothers seem to have the strongest personalities. He noted that Chamoun himself had told our Ambassadors the question of a second term was no longer an issue.

The Prime Minister said that we will just have to keep watching the situation closely and maintain our plans in a state of readiness. The Secretary stated that while to send forces into Lebanon is the lesser of two evils even this course is still an evil. He believed that it would be difficult to get them out once they are in, since the government that invites them may very well fall with great violence once they depart.²

1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 1022. Top Secret. Drafted by William N. Dale of EUR/BNA, cleared by Rountree and Reinhardt, and approved in the White House. British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made an unofficial visit to the United States, June 7–11. The discussion of Middle East problems on June 9 also ranged over relations with Nasser, the situation in Iraq, and military aid to Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan. Separate memoranda of these conversations are ibid. The memorandum on military aid to Lebanon is scheduled for publication in volume XII.
2. On June 10, Eisenhower and Macmillan discussed the Security Council aspect of the Lebanon problem and agreed that the United States and the United Kingdom should support a proposal for the dispatch of a U.N. observer group to Lebanon. (Telegram 893 to USUN, June 10; Department of State, Central Files, 330/6–1058)