SYRIAN LEADER ARRESTED

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 15

SYRIAN LEADER ARRESTED

“Safeguard” For Revolution

(NZ Presi Assn.— Copyright) BEIRUT, October 2. Ihe Syrian Revolutionary Command announced today it had arrested Colonel Abdel Hamid Serraj, the former Syrian intelligence chief and a vice-president of the United Arab Republic. United Press International quoted Damascus Radio as saying that Colonel Serraj had been arrested to “safeguard” the Syrian revolution. The radio broadcast a communique saying the revolutionary command had “discovered his hiding place and arrested him on Sunday evening.”

The announcement said the move was made “to prevent subversive elements from carrying out any suspicious activity to divert the blessed revolution to personal trends.”

The Syrian Army revolted last Thursday, two days after Colonel Serraj resigned as a L'A.R. vice-president and flew back to Damascus from Cairo. At first he was reported to have been a prime mover of the revolution, but today’s announcement made it clear he was not, U.P.L said. According to the Associated Press, Syrian officers who planned the revolt had at first hesitated to put it into execution because of Colonel Serraj’s tight security controls. These were effective even after Colonel Serraj was ‘ kicked upstairs” as VicePresident for security and internal affairs and was transferred to Cairo in August. Secession Proclaimed Yesterday, the new Syrian Government, led by Dr. Mamoun Kuzbari, formally proclaimed secession from the United Arab Republic. In Cairo, President Nasser said he would not use force to stop the move. Today, the revolutionary regime began sending busloads of Egyptians out of Syria and deporting them to Egypt, an Egyptian consular official reported today, the Associated Press said. More than 500 Egyptian civilians—students, teachers, technicians and their families —arrived in Beirut last night and started embarking on th? Egyptian ship Sudan. No officers or military personnel were included in the first three convoys to leave Syria, the Egyptian consular spokesman said. The spokesman said the Sudan, especially dispatched from Egypt, would sail today when loaded to its full capacity of about 9000 passengers. The expelled Egyptians were loaded quickly into buses in Damascus yesterday afternoon and forced to leave most of their belongings behind. the spokesman claimed. The normal three-hour trip from Damascus took about nine hours, he said, as the deportees shifted from Syrian buses to Lebanese Army lorries and back to buses

after crossing the guarded frontier.

Reuter reported that broadcasts from Cairo last night claimed fierce battles were raging between troops and civilians in Aleppo, a key military base in north Syria, and that "violent demonstrations” had taken place elsewhere.

Cairo Radio said the Aleppo town commander had asked for immediate reinforcements.

Damascus Radio last night admitted there had been counter-demonstrations. It warned that any foreigner taking part in the demonstration would be expelled.

First indication of trouble in Aleppo came in an announcement over Damascus Radio that a 16-hour curfew had been imposed.

Observers in Beirut believe that some resistance to the new regime was to be expected. Syria has about 120,000 Palestinian refugees who overwhelmingly support President Nasser. Damascus Radio was believed to be referring to them yesterday when it

broadcast an order warning all non-Syrians they would be arrested and dejjorted if they took part in any demonstration or breach of the peace.

There are also several hundred political refugees from Jordan and Iraq in the country who are active supporters of President Nasser. Union Dissolved In Damascus, the new Government yesterday took another step towards severing all links with Egypt. It dissolved the Syrian branch of the National Union, the only political organisation allowed in the United Arab Republic. Damascus Radio last night quoted Dr. Kuzbari as saying he offered the hand of friendship to Egypt.

Other broadcasts from the Syrian capital indicated growing tension, with announcements that possession of arms by Syrian civilians had been banned, and that universities and schools in Damascus and Aleppo have been closed to prevent “the infiltration of opportunist elements in demonstrations of rejoicing staged by students.”

President Nasser yesterday announced that Egypt had broken off all diplomatic relations with Jordan and Turkey. Soon after the revolution, Jordan and Turkey had announced that they recognised the new revolutionary regime. This had “exposed the true nature of the rebel movement,” President Nasser said on Friday. Dr. Kuzbari told the Damascus Lawyers’ Syndicate yesterday that the new Government “is not a secessionist movement as described by tendentious people.” He said it was aimed at “reaching a position so that Syria might be able to carry out a bigger Arab union.” Israel Watches The British United Press reported from Jerusalem that Israel is keeping a close watch on events in Syria. Before its union with Egypt, Syria was the most extreme anti-Israel country among Arab States, the agency said. Some Israelis fear that the new Syrian Government might go out of its way to stir up trouble with Israel Support for President Nasser came yesterday from the executive committee of the Pan-African People's Conference in Conakry, Guinea. It published an appeal to all governments to aid “the struggle of the peoples of the U.A.R. for the safeguarding of national independence and unity.” Britain has slowed the withdrawal of its troops from Kuwait because of the Syrian revolt, authoritative British sources said. United Press International reported from Kuwait. The decision was made late on Friday at a secret meeting between Kuwaiti officials and British envoys, the sources said. Since then, the daily British troop pullout has dropped from several hundred to a few dozen.