“NON-ALIGNMENT” FOR SYRIA

Press, Volume C, Issue 29635, 4 October 1961, Page 13

“NON-ALIGNMENT” FOR SYRIA

Provisional Government Promises Elections (N.Z.P.A.-ReuteT—Copyright) DAMASCUS, October 3. The new Syrian Prime Minister (Mr Mamoun Kuzbari) said last night that Syria’s foreign policy was to be one of non-alignment, in which Egypt would be regarded as “no different” from any other Arab country. Mr Kuzbari, who was holding his first press conference, emphasised that his was a provisional Government and said elections would be held within four months.

He said it would be the Government's policy to return nationalised companies to their original owners. Agrarian reform would stay as it was. “but if arbitrary measures are found to have been taken against former owners, a proper solution will be found, either by the Cabinet or the forthcoming Parliament.”

Casualties during the revolution had been very light, he said. “In Damascus, only one person was killed and two were wounded, among them the guard of Field-Marshal (Abdel Hakim) Amer, (Com-mander-in-Chief of the U.A.R. Armed Forces), who resisted the revolutionary movement” Serraj’s Arrest He said Colonel Abdel Hamid Serraj, a Syrian and a resigned U,A.R. vice-presi-dent, had been arrested “to keep him from dangers he might be exposed to as much as any dangers he might impose. "As for Syrian citizens, barely any have been arrested except for Serraj and his assistants, because the revolution was motivated by the people’s will,” Mr Kuzbari said. He said Colonel Serraj was a former chief of the Intelligence Department that had been the "centre of persecution and torture of citizens.” Mr Kuzbari said the department had been abolished. Most qf some 3000 persons held illegally before the coup had been released, he said. Colonel Serraj himself, arrested on Sunday, faced in-

■ vestigation and possible trial, i Mr Kuzbari said that he i had not known of the revolt until shooting broke out four ■ days ago. * He told the news conferi ence that, “like any other citizen, I first heard about it I when I heard shooting at the ■ radio station.” Asked when the revolt was planned, he smilingly said ■ that question would have to > be put to the revolutionary ! command. i Mr Kuzbari estimated there i were 20,000 Egyptians, which I he described as “too many,” ■ in Syria. But he said few . Egyptians were arrested after I the coup for subversive acti- ’ vities. Support Claimed I The new regime last night i claimed a massing of political • support behind it. 1 Egypt, however, alleged that : the Government had been i confronted by continuation of ■ fierce uprisings: but there was no direct confirmation of . Egyptian claims that the five- • day old regime wag facing its > “decisive moment.” However, • some observers in Beirut be- > lieved it was facing growing i resistance. Countering this was the s claim by Damascus Radio tha' ■ leaders of Syrian political I factions met yesterday and ■ voted unanimous thanks to ’ the Army for leading the • country out of its three-year link with Egypt. I Colonel Nasser last night > told a wildly cheering rally in Cairo that fighting was • continuing among adherents ■ of the new Syrian regime and

its opponents in Damascus, the key city of Aleppo, and Deir ez Zor, in north-east Syria. Egyptian broadcasts sai.l there were “violent” battles yesterday. “There has been fighting in Damascus, Aleppo and elsewhere,” he told cheering, banner-waving students at the rally, “Yesterday a group of schoolgirls attacked Aleppo radio station.”

President Nasser’s speech lasted 55 minutes. The crowd ihen passed unanimous resolutions sup • porting the President’s “wise attitude towards the crisis created by reactionary

separatist traitors in ths Syrian region.,” Later, students held smaller rallies in various schools and colleges. A mass pro-Nassec rally was also held in Alexandria. President Nasser spoke after a mass demonstration by students who marched through Cairo chanting Arab slogans. Guard on Embassies Riot police were out in force near the British Turkish and Jordanian Embassies during the demonstra tion. (Jordan and Turkey were the first nations to recognise the new Syrian regime.) There has been no con flrmation of President Nasser’s claims of fighting outbreaks in Syria A German tourist who reached Beirut from Damascus yesterday said the Syrian capital was quiet. A ban on the carrying of arms except by special permission was broadcast yesterday by Damascus Radio. All Syria's Government and private schools, and the universities of Damascus and Aleppo, have been closed until further notice

Outside support for the new Government yesterday came from Iran and Nationalist China. They joined Jordan, Turkey and Guatemala in recognising the regime. President Makarios of Cyprus, however, has sent a message of personal support to President Nasser.

U.K. Satellite Changes

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, October 3. Britain’s first scientific satellite will be launched with a Thor-Delta rocket instead of the Scout, it was announced yesterday. The director of international programmes for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mr H. Arnold Frutkin, disclosed that the British scientific paytoad had become too heavy for the solid-fuel Scout. The launching site for the 1501 b British satellite had been changed from Wallops Island Virginia to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Portrait Theft.— The Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) yesterday appointed Lord Bridges and Major Sir John Ferguson to make an independent inquiry into the theft of Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery, on the night of August 21-22.—Lon-don, October 3.