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\address 
New Republic
1220 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
\body
To the Editor: 

	America has another deterrent to support of terrorism
that can be added to those mentioned in TNR's editorial of
July 15 and 22.

	We have maintained a substantial degree of
neutrality in the Lebanese civil wars, not wishing to take sides
among the claims of the Christians, the Druses, and the
different Moslem communities.  In the past, when we could
consider ourselves a kind of world policeman, a role that
Eisenhower used the Marines for in Lebanon in 1958, such
neutrality was essential and made us respected.  The solution
our intervention imposed in 1958 led to ten years of peace,
and we weren't blamed much by any faction.  If our intervention
in 1983 had been carried to the point of imposing a solution,
we might have received similar credit.  However, we no longer
have the combination of military and internal political strength
required for the role of policeman.

	Therefore, when we are gratuitously attacked, we can threaten
to give up our neutrality and frankly help the enemies of our
attackers without too much regard to the merits of their case.
In Lebanon, our support for one or more of the Christian factions
could be decisive if it included modern arms and training and
possibly even air and naval artillery support.

	While the Shiites and others have found it to their
advantage to claim that we are their enemies, the prospect
of it actually happening would probably make them think hard.


\closing
Sincerely,

John McCarthy    
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JMC/ra 
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%Enclosure
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%cc: Matthew Kahn
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%P.S.: whatever you wish to say here

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New Republic
1220 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036