Soviet Blamed For Jordan Revolt

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28267, 3 May 1957, Page 9

Soviet Blamed For Jordan Revolt

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 1. A Lebanese newspaper reported today that Soviet diplomats in Syria had conspired with Jordan Leftist leaders in a plot to topple King Hussein from his throne, the United Press reported from Beirut. The newspaper “El Hayat” said that the dismissed Jordan Premier, Mr Suleiman Nabulsi, and King Hussein’s former Chief of Staff, Major-General Ali Abu Nuwar, were in direct contact with the Soviet Embassy in Damascus about the plot. General Nuwar, who fled to Syria after failure of the coup, had been promised Soviet arms if he could persuade the Government to accept diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. It was Mr Nabulsi’s move to set up such relations which caused his dismissal and touched off the crisis in Jordan. The newspaper, which claimed it had carried out an investigation into the causes of the Jordan crisis, said Mr Nabulsi had been in constant touch with the Soviet Embassy in Damascus and has received both financial and political aid.

General Nuwar, the newspaper alleged, had co-operated with the Soviet Military Attache in Damascus and with Syria’s Left-wing Director of Military Intelligence, Colonel Abdul Hamid Sarraj. The newspaper alleged that General Nuwar had been paid 280,000 dollars to bribe officers of Jordan’s Army. The newspaper also accused an Egyptian Military Attache, Major Fouad Belal. of helping to organise an Army revolt against King Hussein. It said the revolt was scheduled to be launched on the night of April 8, but was postponed until April 10 because of differences between Major Belal and another Egyptian officer. The revolt, the newspaper said, was delayed again until April 13, when Major-General Ali Hayari, who succeeded General Nuwar as Chief of Staff and later fled to Damascus, lost his nerve and withdrew tank units which were to have besieged Amman.

The report also claimed that Nakolov Drachinsky, correspondent of the official Soviet news agency, Tass, visited Amman last January and offered to support Mr Nabulsi in his struggle against the King. The newspaper alleged that Drachinsky had been a propaganda adviser to the Egyptian Government in 1956.