Conflict and intervention in the Middle East are not uncommon occurrences. Yet when civil strife erupted in Lebanon in 1975, the events that followed were unusual indeed. Unlike most patterns of intervention, Syria displayed remarkable tactical flexibility by first intervening on behalf of the rebels, its traditional allies, then shifting its allegiance mid-war to the Lebanese incumbents. Also, whereas most intervention scenarios end with a process of decommitment, Syria eventually occupied parts of Lebanon to become an enduring military entity there. Delving into primary Syrian and Lebanese sources, Weinberger unravels the history, competing factions, religion, politics, and culture of the region and presents an intriguing and complex portrait of intervention by a regional power.

"Marius Deeb, an Oxford-educated authority on Middle Eastern politics and history, in a sequel to his authoritative Syria's Terrorist War on Lebanon and the Peace Process, shows how the Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah axis has tried, through assassination, terrorism and force, to undermine Lebanon's Cedar Revolution that triumphed in March 2005. The Cedar Revolution began in September 2000 as a protest movement led by Patriarch Sfair, the head of the Maronite Catholic Church, and culminated on March 14, 2005, when 1.5 million demonstrated peacefully in Beirut calling for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and for a free, democratic, and pluralistic polity. No wonder that the Syria, Iran and Hezbollah axis has regarded the Cedar Revolution as its implacable enemy, for the Cedar Revolution is the antithesis of the Islamic revolution in Iran that demonized America and opened the floodgates of terrorism. In contrast, the Cedar Revolution is a nonviolent, democratic, and pro-Western revolution and thus an antidote to militant Islam and terrorism." -- Publisher's description.

Find out about the 1958 U.S. intervention that succeeded and apply those lessons to today's conflicts in the Middle East 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 (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.