Combat· Lebanon Crisis (Op BLUEBAT)
Lebanon 1958 (Operation BLUEBAT)
In the summer of 1958, with Lebanon threatened by internal strife between Christian and Muslim factions and by the destabilizing effects of pan-Arab nationalism and the overthrow of the pro-Western government in neighboring Iraq, President Camille Chamoun appealed for American help under the Eisenhower Doctrine. President Eisenhower ordered Marines ashore, and beginning on 15 July the 2d Provisional Marine Force landed over the beaches south of Beirut and moved to secure the capital, its airport, and key approaches. The operation was a show of force rather than a war: the Marines occupied positions, conducted motorized patrols, and stabilized the situation largely without fighting, their presence enough to deter wider violence while a political settlement was reached. After the crisis eased, the force withdrew that autumn. BLUEBAT became a textbook example of using amphibious power to back American foreign policy through rapid, measured intervention, achieving its aim with minimal bloodshed.
Record no. 649