Beirut 1958: How America's Wars in the Middle East Began
by Bruce Riedel
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Description
"In July 1958, U.S. Marines stormed the beach in Beirut, Lebanon, ready for combat. They were greeted by vendors and sunbathers. Fortunately, the rest of their mission--helping to end Lebanon's first civil war--went nearly as smoothly and successfully, thanks in large part to the skillful work of American diplomats who helped arrange a compromise solution. Future American interventions in the region would not work out quite as well. Bruce Riedel's new book tells the now-forgotten story show more (forgotten, that is, in the United States) of the first U.S. combat operation in the Middle East. President Eisenhower sent the Marines in the wake of a bloody coup in Iraq, a seismic event that altered politics not only of that country but eventually of the entire region. Eisenhower feared that the coup, along with other conspiracies and events that seemed mysterious back in Washington, threatened American interests in the Middle East. His action, and those of others, were driven in large part by a cast of fascinating characters whose espionage and covert actions could be grist for a movie. Although Eisenhower's intervention in Lebanon was unique, certainly in its relatively benign outcome, it does hold important lessons for today's policymakers as they seek to deal with the always unexpected challenges in the Middle East. Veteran analyst Bruce Reidel describes the scene as it emerged six decades ago, and he suggests that some of the lessons learned then are still valid today. A key lesson? Not to rush to judgment when surprised by the unexpected. And don't assume the worst"-- show lessTags
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Middle Eastern Literature & Non-Fiction
99 works; 3 members
Author Information
14+ Works 312 Members
Bruce Riedel is senior fellow and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project. Riedel joined Brookings following a thirty-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency. He served as a senior adviser to four U.S. presidents on South Asia and the Middle East, working as a senior member of the National Security Council. in 2009 President Obama show more made him chairman of a strategic review of American policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is author of the Brookings best seller the Search for al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future. show less
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, Politics and Government, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 956.9204 — History & geography History of Asia Middle East Asia: Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan The Levant Lebanon 1926–
- LCC
- DS87 .R485 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia Lebanon (Phenicia) History
- BISAC
Statistics
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- 14
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- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
