U.S. Intervention in Lebanon, 1958 and 1982: Presidential Decisionmaking

United States intervention in Lebanon in 1958 and 1982 is the subject of this comparative study, which contrasts the decision making of Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan and the quality and results of their choices. Among the topics discussed are the premises and rationale behind the leaders' policies, the events that shaped specific responses, how managerial style and cognition affect presidential decisions, and the resulting lessons that apply to crisis situations.

Korbani also suggests ways to apply theory and decision models to the crises, and details major errors that could have been avoided and lessons that must be learned.