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Dear Keith, I believe only a few Syrians went to Iraq at the time of the Kaylani movement. Zaki al-Arsuzi (the Alawi leader) did not go to Iraq. In fact he counseled his followers against it. He likened Kaylani to a donkey who had fallen in line with British plans. Kaylani did send a relative to make contact with Arsuzi in mid-March 1941, a few weeks before the coup took place, but Arsuzi refused to be drawn into his plans. He explained to his followers that it was a trap, that Kaylani didn't have a prayer of success and would only compromise the nationalists. Why? He explained that the British were too strong and would crush the revolt and arrest anyone who joined it. Because of this, he ordered his followers to remain neutral. He turned out to be right. (See Sami al-Jundi al-Baath, p. 28-29. Michel Aflaq did support the coup. He formed student committees in support of Rashid Ali and launched a "Victory in Iraq" movement. "It was an opportunity to bring home to our young followers the significance of our Party's basic doctrine of Arab unity." Michel Aflaq told Patrick Seale. (see Struggle for Syria, p. 10) Seale does not say that Aflaq went to Iraq and he interviewed him on the subject. The Syrian that did go was Akram al-Hawrani along with a "few junior officers," according to Seale. Jamal al-Atasi, who joined the Aflaq wing of the Baath, says that Hawrani, Afif al-Bizri, and he went to Iraq and were briefly arrested by the French when they fled back into Syria when the coup failed. Shukri al-Quwwatli headed a committee to raise funds for Rashid Ali. Although the Rashid Ali movement clearly inspired enthusiasm among young Syrian nationalists, there is not much indication that more than a handful actually went to Iraq. Best, Joshua Landis http://syriacomment.com
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