ABSTRACT
Lebanon is the only true citadel of private enterprise which remains in the Arab world. Lebanon was granted independence in 1943, although French forces withdrew only in 1946 as a result of Anglo-American and nationalist pressure. British consultants working with Alexander A. Gibb and Partners advised Lebanese businessmen on the construction of Lebanon's telephone lines and hydroelectric power system, while British oil interests in Iraq Petroleum Company watched over pipelines that linked Iraqi oil fields through northern Lebanon. Tales of corruption exposed conditions that adversely affected the petty bourgeoisie, which was no match for Lebanon's power elite. Regional developments encouraged such a move, as did those further afield, such as the defeat of American-supported Chinese Nationalist forces and war in Korea. The options available to the Lebanese regime were slim, given the preponderance of Israeli military power relative to that of Lebanon and the continued occupation of the Lebanese south.
