Beirut 1958: America's first Middle East intervention

In July 1958, U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of Beirut, Lebanon, ready for combat in the midst of an escalating sectarian crisis in the country. But they were greeted by sunbathers and vendors selling shawarma. The rest of their mission went mostly peacefully, but future American interventions did not go so well.  In his new book published by the Brookings Institution Press, "," Senior Fellow tells the story of the first U.S. combat operation in the Middle East and the lessons it continues to hold for today’s policymakers. In this interview with Brookings Press Director Bill Finan, Riedel brings a personal perspective to the story as his father was a United Nations official stationed in the region when the Marines arrived.  Also, Senior Fellow  explains what's happening in Congress, with a focus on the new impeachment resolution in the House of Representatives. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts  or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at  on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .