ANOTHER COUP IN SYRIA

Chronicle (Levin), 15 August 1949, Page 5

ANOTHER COUP IN SYRIA

( N.Z.P.A.

— Reuter.

— * " " ' President And Premier Execnted

' - Supreme War Council Takes Over

Copyright)

Received Monday, 9,20 a.m. ! DAMASCU'S, August, 14. A supreme war council took over all legisiative and executive powers in Syria this ailernoon foliowing the execution by a firing squad this morning of the President, Marshal Huzni Zaim, and his Premier, Muhsen Berazi. 1 The council is headed by Golonel Sami Hinnawi, chief commandant of .the armed forces, who led this morning's coup. The council will issue crecrees until the formation of a constitutional Government.

The council has already appointed a new Press Director-General, a new Under-Secretary for Poreign Affairs and a new Assistant Director of Posts and Telegraphs. Marshal Zaim was stripped of his marshal uniform before execution. Whon an officer tried to blindfoid him he said: "I have lived braveiy and I want to die brayely." The execution of Premier Berazi followed. He asked his executioners to take care of his family, Damascus radio announced the execution in a formal communique from the new Government. Then it went off the air. Telephone ' and telegraph communications with Damascus were cut off. The situation within Syria is confused, as it is not known whether Marshal Zaim's soldiers, who were reported to be devoted to him, would resist. However, Colonel Hinnawi claims that Ufe is quickly returning to normal in Damascus, with traffic as usual. Official reports from all over the country said that the situation was cairn. A Government communique said that Marshal Zaim's coup last March had been welcoined because the people thought it would introduce a just Government. The new coup was necessary because Marshal Zaim's regime had proved more corrupt and generally worse

than the last oue. Colonel Hinnawi claims that his only aim is to save the country from Marshal Zaim's tyrann.y, He said!, that ti>e Army shouid not medd'.e with politics, but restrict ltself to defence with civilians running the country. A Syrian source in Amman, who was a member of the dissident group, said that the decision to oyerthrow Marshal Zaim was taken on July 7 after he was arrested and turned over to Lebanon. Anton Saadeh, leader of the Syrian National Party, was executed a few hours after he was taken across the Lebanese border. A num- j ber of officers and civilians of Mar- ! shal Zaim's administration have been arrested, including .Major Ibrahim Busseini, head .of the military police. and Nazir Fansa, Marshal Zaim's brother-in-law, who took part in the March coup. Today's eounter-revolution appears to have been staged internally without any foreign influence. It was apparently organised to enforce the principles behind the March revolution, which the military group now in control maintains Marshal Zaim had faiied to put into practice. His right-hand men were evidently behind the new revolt, chiefly young Nationalist-minded Army officers.