239. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State1
764. From Murphy. London for Secretary. McClintock and I saw Chamoun at noon. He had progressed considerably toward a political solution.
Chamoun said he had agreement at last from General Chehab to accept presidency and had concurrence of Speaker of Parliament for latter’s support of Chehab’s candidacy. Chamoun asked if we were of a like mind and we replied we had no objection to Chehab but did wish strongly that election be Lebanese elections and not seem colored by presence of American forces.
Although it must have caused him a hard struggle, Chamoun this morning stated he had at last agreed that warrants for arrest of opposition deputies would be placed in suspension to permit them to vote next Thursday. We applauded political wisdom of this decision and said further we hoped non-parliamentary opposition leaders such as Jumblat, Yafi and Oueni would likewise have warrants temporarily suspended in order to permit them to consult in Beirut with their political leaders.
Chamoun asked us urgently to impress on Chehab need for more resolute military action at least to curtail rebel activity in Beirut and possibly to repulse what he described as significantly increased rebel movements in north Lebanon near and on hills northeast of Tripoli.
We propose to request Admiral Holloway to give us a careful military study of situation in these areas and to arrange meeting between Holloway’s staff, General Chehab and ourselves early tomorrow [Page 408] to go over possibilities of some military action prior to elections. Now that Chehab has accepted candidacy he is in a different position as if parliament makes him president he will be facing the same issues in a new light.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–2858. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London.↩