REVOLUTION BY SYRIAN ARMY

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30076, 9 March 1963, Page 11

REVOLUTION BY SYRIAN ARMY

Bid To Restore Egyptian Links

{N.Z Press Association —Copyright) BEIRUT, March 8. The Syrian Army launched a revolution in Damascus today, apparently aimed at moving Syria closer to President Nasser’s United Arab Republic, the Associated Press reported. A Damascus Radio broadcast said the country’s borders had been sealed, its airports shut down, and a curfew clamped over the entire nation. The radio quoted a statement by the “High Council of the Revolution” which pledged support for Arab unity and said it supported the revolutions in the Yemen and Iraq, Reuter said.

The Damascus announcer said the new regime extended a hand to Cairo, Bagdad, and Sanaa, A.P. reported. The radio played the same martial air that heralded the successful revolt in Iraq exactly one month ago.

There were strong hints that the new revolt, Syria’s third in 18 months, was plotted by the same political group that overthrew General Abdel Kerim Kassem in Bagdad in February—the moderately Socialist Arab Ba’ath Party. A.P. said. Bagdad Radio, monitored in Tel Aviv, announced that the Iraqi Army had been alerted and was ready to move in aid of the Syrian revolution, Reuter said. A.P. said the Syrian revolutionary command listed its aims as these:

(1) “The Army movement wants to restore the Army to its true Arab path. (2) "The Army believes in Arab unity on a true basis and will work with the people to achieve this aim in the shortest possible time. (3) “The Army does not intend to establish military rule. (4) “The Army respects international agreements and charters and believes in positive neutrality.”

Rumours of trouble among Syrian Army forces were reported earlier this week, A.P. said. The Middle East News Agency reported on Monday that certain Army units along the frontier with Israel had mutinied under the leadership of Colonel Ziad el Hariri. .

Quick and complete support came from the revolution leaders in Iraq, the Associated Press said. Damascus Radio said the following statement came from the National Council of the Revolutionary Command in Bagdad: “The National Council of the Revolutionary Command in Iraq considers the revolution in Syria as the revolution of the people and the Iraq Army and people support it with all their force. “The council declares any intervention in Syria’s internal affairs an intervention in Iraq and considers it as equal to a declaration of war against Iraq.” the Bagdad statement said, according to Damascus Radio.

In the pattern of Middle Eastern revolutions, Damascus Radio broadcast a series of proclamations and orders, A.P. said. Reuter quoted Damascus Radio as saying the Syrian people had suffered because of the secession from the United Arab Republic in September, 1961. “The Army has risen today to follow the straight path of socialism and unity,” it said.

Syria and Egypt joined together in 1958 to form the United Arab Republic, but after a successful revolt in September, 1961. Syria—the smaller but proportionately richer partner—broke away. The Syrian Army seized power in a bloodless coup on March 28 last year and appointed Dr. Bashir Azmeh as

Prime Minister. He resigned in September last year and was succeeded by Mr Khaled al Azem.

Relations between Syria and Egypt have been strained since the 1961 secession. In Cairo, a statement issued by Abdel Kader Haitem, United Arab Republic Minister of Information and National Guidance, said: “The U.A.R. considers any outside aggression against Syria is aggression against the U.A.R.

“The armed forces of the U.A.R. stand with all their might in complete readiness to support the revolution of the Arab people of Syria against Zionism, imperialism and their agents.” In its first statement, the re olutionary movement said in Damascus it aimed at cooperation with the U.A.R., Iraq, Algeria, and the Yemen and “all liberated Arabs elsewhere.”

Damascus Radio, heard in Amman, said the new regime would adhere to international obligations. the United Nations Charter, and international agreements. The radio also broadcast the statement of support issued in Cairo by Mr Hatem. In Bagdad, the whole Iraqi Army was put in a state of alert to “protect the revolution of the Arab people in Syria against any danger,” according to a broadcast by Bagdad Radio. The order said Iraq "will consider any interference in

Syrian affairs as aggression on Iraq which would be repelled with great strength, and will consider it as declaration of war on Iraq.” Observers in Beirut interpreted this as a warning to Jordan against any possible intervention. The Syrian National Council appointed Brigadier Abdallah Jibrini as acting commander of the internal security forces, Damascus Radio said. He was ordered to assume the post immediately. T 1 e Bagdad Radio broadcast said Iraqi Air Force units were ordered to be ready on the tarmac for take-off within a half-an-hour’s notice “to support the revolution of the Arab people in beloved Syria.”

A. said Damascus Radio broadcast messages of support from various Army officers in Syria, particularly from units in the south, along the Israeli frontier. One such message demanded that the new regime “cut off the snake’s head as well as the tail.” B. said Damascus Radio broadcasts attacked “the crime of secession”—the ending of the union with Egypt. Observers in Beirut thought this indicated the new regime would form a new link with Egypt.

B.U.P. said the radio had not yet announced the fate of Mr Azem, but it was strongly attacking “those who split us from our Arab brothers.” Mr Azem had been to the fore in opposing a resumption of

Egyptian-Syrian relations. Reports received in Tel Aviv from the Israeli-Syrian border said firing was heard across the border this morning. It went on for about 30 minutes, the reports said.