ARAB UNITY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28551, 2 April 1958, Page 22

ARAB UNITY

Menace Or Myth? [Bi/ NICHOLAS TEMPLE] LONDON. The new United Arab Republic of Egypt and Syria is another attempt by Colonel Nasser to blow the trumpet of Arab unity—with him as the band leader, of course. A few hours after Nasser and President Kuwatly of Syria announced their union, the Yemen said they would apply to join. Immediate comments on the republic were not complimentary. One leading Western politician i ed, “Colonel Nasser to sort out the Middle <£ast? Even God himself has difficulties with the region. The Middle East that drov Moses to despair, crucified Christ and forced Mohammed to Lee? °oor Nasser!” One counter punch was quick and sure. King Hussein of Jordan an King Feisal of Iraq agreed in principal on the union of their two countries, while an observer from Saudi Arabia sat in at the meeting in behalf of King Saud Of the two new alliances, Jordan and Iraq stand a better chance of success than Egypt and Syria, if for no other reason than that they are geographical neighbours. <The history of unions without a geographical tie is not good, as we kno from Pakistan, for example.) “Little Love” Add to this the fact that the two kings are cousins, while Colonel Nasser—having banned communism—now finds himseil, allied to a government with strong Communist sympathies, and we can see how weak the union will be. What the United Arab Republic needs to stand some chance oi success is Jordan, and Jordan is precisely what King Hussein and King Feisal have decided Nasser will not have, for Jordan stands at the hub of any large Arab alliance. On its borders lie Syria, Iraq. Saudi Arabia, and Israel, whilst it is separated from Egypt only by the narrow waters of the Gulf of Akaba. While Jordan has as little love for Israel as for Egypt, it also has a low opinion of Egyptian capabilities and does not intend to be dragged down by Egypt should any attacks on Israel be forthcoming. Without Jordan, any attempts to co-ordinate attacks on Israel are doomed to failure. It is partly to forestall any Egyptian and Syrian attempts to press them into this alliance that Jordan has now entered into union with Iraq. Since the abortive Syrian attempts to unseat Hussein and create a Syrian-Jordanian Republic—it culminated in the crisis of last April when Hussein broke the back of the attempted rebellion Hussein is taking no chances. By his union with Iraq, the only reasonably well trained, officered and disciplined troops in the Middle East are amalgamated. Balance Of Power Jordan stands to gain much more from this union than Iraq Of Iraq’s annual oil royalties (£BO million last year), 70% is permanently earmarked for economic development, some oi which will now help balance Jordan's budget. Iraq on her side does not wish the Middle Eastern balance of power weighted too heavily against her. Long dreaming of access to the Mediterranean, she has little love for Syria or Egypt. Through their territory passes over ninety per cent of her oil exports, and the only way in which Iraq can obtain access to the Mediterranean is through Syria. Israel is too strong. After Britain and France attacked the Suez Canal, Iraq had to stand by and watch the Syrians blow up the oil pipe-line. So little do they love Syria that there have been at least ' three Iraqi-instigated attempts to overthrow the Syrian Government during the last few years. Had it not been for threats of Russian intervention, the Syrian Government would have been overthrown at the time of the pipe-line incident and Iraqi troops would have marched in. Syria is ruled in effect by the army security service led by 35-year-old Colonel Hamid Serra j, ( in collaboration with the Socialist Resurrectionist Party and unofficially the Kurdish Communist Party. “Pace-Maker” Syria has long been the political and intellectual pace-maker of the Middle East. She is heavily < committed to Russia, both ideologically and economically, but the Syrian economy is in little . better shape than Egypt’s, and ’ Syria’s small gold reserves are , not of much help to Egypt’s large financial deficit. 1 What is happening in the rest of the Middle East? The Turks and Iran stand aside < and make non-committal noises, i Israel is not at all pleased, but < perhaps is thankful for the breathing space. There are many questions left, : and the answers lie only in the future. What is the Lebanon going to do? What happens to the Bagdad Pac 4 What happens to that 200 million dollars allotted to the Middle East under the Eisenhower - doctrine—most of which has not been used yet? What happens / to the Eisenhower doctrine itseli? ’ Last and more important, what part all this will Saudi Arabia, fotentially the biggest of the Arab powers, play m the end? Where does the Middle East go from here?—Central Press.