Vows He Would Not Order People - 30/09/1961
Vows He Would Not Order People
By Sam Pope Brewer
New York Times
CAIRO- President Nasser shifted full responsibility for keeping Syria in his “Democratic Socialist” United Arab Republic yesterday on the people and the army in that country. He vowed he would not order the country, now apparently under the control of insurgents, held by military force.
Addressing a cheering throng in Cairo’s Al Coumhouris (Republic) Square, Nasser branded the new insurgent regime in Damascus as a “reactionary element” seeking to hang the yoke of “capitalist exploitation” around the necks of five million Syrians.
“I am sure the people will not give up the rights they have earned in the last four years,” he said referring to the period of Egypt-Syria Union as the U.A.R.
“I am sure the Syrian army will not be the agent of capitalist exploiters.” he said/
Nasser spoke a few hours after the dissenting officers who carried out Thursday’s coup in Damascus announced the formation of an all-civilian cabinet headed by Mamoun Al-Kuzbari.
Nasser said the Kuzbari cabinet had been set up to give the capitalists “what they want.”
He noted that King Hussein of Jordan had been the “first to congratulate and recognize the new Damascus government.”
“This proves the intention of the imperialists in the whole rebel movement.” Nasser declared.
Nasser left no doubt about his decision to end the fight as far as any troops he might order into action were concerned. He said he ruled out fighting Thursday because “Arabs should not shed the blood of Arabs.”
After a cabinet meeting lasting through most of Thursday night, Nasser ordered 2,000 paratroopers to Syria by plane yesterday morning. They were to land behind Latakia, Syria’s principal seaport. The move was hardly underway, however, when fighting broke out on the ground after the first 100 troops had landed. The airlift was called off and the troop-carrying planes still in the air were ordered back to their Egyptian base.
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