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American Cryptology during the Cold War - The Black Vault

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Ib) (1)<br />

Ib) (3) -P.L. 86-36<br />

Ib) (3) -50 USC 403<br />

Ib) (3) -18 USC 798<br />

Having no NSOC, NSA had to take extraordinary steps to deal with <strong>the</strong> crisis. I<br />

NSA technical support to <strong>the</strong> field was slow in coming. I<br />

Lebanon, 1958<br />

<strong>The</strong> Eisenhower administration was pulled into <strong>the</strong> Middle East quite by accident in<br />

1956. But <strong>the</strong> president quickly yanked U.S. foreign policy into line with <strong>the</strong> new<br />

situation. In January 1957, in a State of<strong>the</strong> Union address focusing on <strong>the</strong> Middle East,<br />

he proclaimed what became known as <strong>the</strong> Eisenhower Doctrine: <strong>the</strong> United States would<br />

use its armed forces to help any country requesting assistance in maintaining its<br />

independence "against overt armed aggression from any nation controlled by<br />

International Communism.,,22 Just two short years later, he employed <strong>the</strong> new doctrine in<br />

its first test. <strong>The</strong> occasion was Lebanon.<br />

Nasser had continued to extend his pan-Arabism, and he was <strong>the</strong> idol of <strong>the</strong> Middle<br />

East. In January 1958 he announced <strong>the</strong> formation of <strong>the</strong> United Arab Republic, an<br />

amalgam of Egypt and Syria, with Egypt clearly <strong>the</strong> dominant partner. <strong>The</strong> new UAR<br />

<strong>the</strong>n launched a propaganda assault on <strong>the</strong> more conservative regimes in Lebanon,<br />

Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. An arms race involving <strong>the</strong> U.S., Britain, France, and <strong>the</strong><br />

USSR produced a Middle East that was "armed and dangerous."<br />

On 14 July pro-Nasser forces overthrew <strong>the</strong> Iraqi monarchy and assassinated <strong>the</strong> royal<br />

family. Camille Chamoun, who headed <strong>the</strong> pro-Western government of Lebanon, believed<br />

that he was next and hurriedly requested <strong>American</strong> assistance. Eisenhower believed that<br />

Nasserists were about to take over <strong>the</strong> oil supply and decided, on <strong>the</strong> spur of <strong>the</strong> moment,<br />

and after consulting with virtually no one, to come to Chamoun's assistance. He ordered<br />

<strong>the</strong> Sixth Fleet to <strong>the</strong> Eastern Mediterranean and instructed <strong>the</strong> chairman of <strong>the</strong> JCS,<br />

General Twining, to put Marines ashore in Beirut <strong>the</strong> next day. Harold MacMillan, <strong>the</strong><br />

British prime minister, requested that it be a joint operation, but Eisenhower wanted a<br />

unilateral action, and he suggested that British paratroops be deployed to Jordan ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

than Lebanon. 23<br />

I11dfBhFi VIA 'f1'I:hI~Hi'fICFiYII8hFi 08MHi'f 08tl'fR8h S'l'S'ft!JMS ofefN'fhY<br />

NOT REI FA S ABJ..1i: TQ FQIQJI8~i NA'fI8!MLS<br />

237

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