Salah Jadid
Encyclopedia
Salah Jadid was a Syria
n general
and political figure in the Baath Party
, and the country's de facto leader from 1966 until 1970.
from the Lattakia province of Western Syria. He was born in a village called Dwer Baabdeh (Arabic
: دوير بعبدة), rose to prominence within a secret military faction of the Baath Party, which had been formed in the late 1950s, and which led the Baathist takeover in Syria in 1963. Following a bloody intra-regime coup in February 1966, which purged the traditional leadership of the Baath Party and its military allies (Michel Aflaq
, Salah al-Din al-Bitar
, Amin al-Hafiz, Mohammed Umran, etc.), Gen. Jadid was the de facto
head of government
of Syria until he was deposed in 1969-1970.
, as party chairman, state president and later prime minister; Yousuf Zouayyen, as prime minister; Ibrahim Makhous as foreign minister, Hafez al-Assad
as defense minister; Abd al-Karim al-Jundi, as security chief. Many of these men were Alawis (e.g. all of the above except Atassi, Jundi, and Zouayyen, who were Sunni), giving the regime a sectarian character. Several were military men, and all belonged on the Baath Party's left wing.
Under Jadid's rule, Syria aligned itself with the Soviet bloc and pursued hardline policies towards Israel
and "reactionary" Arab states especially Saudia Arabia, calling for the mobilization of a "people's war" against Zionism
rather than inter-Arab military alliances. Domestically, Jadid attempted a socialist transformation of Syrian society at forced pace, creating unrest and economical difficulties. Opponents of the regime were harshly suppressed, while the Baath Party replaced parliament as law-making body and other parties were banned. Public support for his regime, such as it was, declined sharply following Syria's defeat in the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel
captured the Golan Heights, and as a result of the troubled internal conditions of the country.
After the war, in particular, tensions began to increase between Jadid's followers and those who argued that the situation called for a more moderate stance on socialism and international relations. This group coalesced around Defense Minister Hafez al-Assad, who protested the "adventurism" of Jadid, and demanded a normalization of the internal situation by adopting a permanent constitution, liberalizing the economy, and mending ties with non-Baathist groups, as well as the external situation, by seeking an alliance with conservative Arab states such as Jordan
and Saudi Arabia
. While Jadid retained the allegiance of most of the civilian Baath apparatus, Assad as defense minister gradually asserted control over the military wing of the party. In 1969, Assad purged several Jadid loyalists, and from that point on Jadid had lost his preeminence in the state.
(PLO) and the Jordanian army, Jadid sent Syrian-controlled Palestinian
troops of the nominally PLO-run Palestinian Liberation Army
, based in Syria, into Jordan in order to help the PLO. This action was not supported by Assad's more pragmatic Baath faction, and the troops withdrew. The action helped trigger the simmering conflict between Jadid's and Assad's wings of the Baath Party and army. The Syrian communist party aligned itself with Salah Jadid. The Soviet ambassador, Nuradin Mukdinov was drawn in the power struggle. Hafez al Assad was angered by the meddling in Syrian politics by the Soviet Union, so he decided to scare the Soviets by sending Mustafa Tlass
to Beijing
to procure arms and wave Chairman Mao's little Red Book. In November 1970, Jadid attempted to fire Assad and his supporter Mustafa Tlass
, which in turn caused Assad to launch an intra-party coup against Jadid, dubbed the Corrective Movement
. Jadid was arrested, and remained in prison until his death in 1993, while al-Assad would remain in power until his death in 2000, and his son until present.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and political figure in the Baath Party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
, and the country's de facto leader from 1966 until 1970.
Rise to power
Salah Jadid, an AlawiAlawi
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
from the Lattakia province of Western Syria. He was born in a village called Dwer Baabdeh (Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: دوير بعبدة), rose to prominence within a secret military faction of the Baath Party, which had been formed in the late 1950s, and which led the Baathist takeover in Syria in 1963. Following a bloody intra-regime coup in February 1966, which purged the traditional leadership of the Baath Party and its military allies (Michel Aflaq
Michel Aflaq
Michel Aflaq was a Syrian philosopher, who is credited with being the ideological founder of ba'athism, a hybrid of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism.-Early life:...
, Salah al-Din al-Bitar
Salah al-Din al-Bitar
Salah ad-Din al-Bitar , was a Syrian politician who, with Michel Aflaq, founded the Arab Ba'th Party in the early 1940s. During their student days in Paris in the early 1930s, the two worked together to formulate a doctrine that combined aspects of nationalism and socialism...
, Amin al-Hafiz, Mohammed Umran, etc.), Gen. Jadid was the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
of Syria until he was deposed in 1969-1970.
Strongman of Baathist Syria
While Jadid remained away from public view, as second secretary of the Baath Party, men allied to him filled the top posts in state and army: Nureddin al-AtassiNureddin al-Atassi
Noureddin Mohammed Ali al-Atassi was President of Syria from February 1966 to November 1970...
, as party chairman, state president and later prime minister; Yousuf Zouayyen, as prime minister; Ibrahim Makhous as foreign minister, Hafez al-Assad
Hafez al-Assad
Hafez ibn 'Ali ibn Sulayman al-Assad or more commonly Hafez al-Assad was the President of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule consolidated the power of the central government after decades of coups and counter-coups, such as Operation Wappen in 1957 conducted by the Eisenhower administration and...
as defense minister; Abd al-Karim al-Jundi, as security chief. Many of these men were Alawis (e.g. all of the above except Atassi, Jundi, and Zouayyen, who were Sunni), giving the regime a sectarian character. Several were military men, and all belonged on the Baath Party's left wing.
Under Jadid's rule, Syria aligned itself with the Soviet bloc and pursued hardline policies towards Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and "reactionary" Arab states especially Saudia Arabia, calling for the mobilization of a "people's war" against Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
rather than inter-Arab military alliances. Domestically, Jadid attempted a socialist transformation of Syrian society at forced pace, creating unrest and economical difficulties. Opponents of the regime were harshly suppressed, while the Baath Party replaced parliament as law-making body and other parties were banned. Public support for his regime, such as it was, declined sharply following Syria's defeat in the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
captured the Golan Heights, and as a result of the troubled internal conditions of the country.
After the war, in particular, tensions began to increase between Jadid's followers and those who argued that the situation called for a more moderate stance on socialism and international relations. This group coalesced around Defense Minister Hafez al-Assad, who protested the "adventurism" of Jadid, and demanded a normalization of the internal situation by adopting a permanent constitution, liberalizing the economy, and mending ties with non-Baathist groups, as well as the external situation, by seeking an alliance with conservative Arab states such as Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. While Jadid retained the allegiance of most of the civilian Baath apparatus, Assad as defense minister gradually asserted control over the military wing of the party. In 1969, Assad purged several Jadid loyalists, and from that point on Jadid had lost his preeminence in the state.
Downfall
In 1970, when conflict erupted between the Palestine Liberation OrganizationPalestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
(PLO) and the Jordanian army, Jadid sent Syrian-controlled Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
troops of the nominally PLO-run Palestinian Liberation Army
Palestinian Liberation Army
The Palestine Liberation Army was ostensibly set up as the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization at the 1964 Arab League summit , with the mission of fighting Israel...
, based in Syria, into Jordan in order to help the PLO. This action was not supported by Assad's more pragmatic Baath faction, and the troops withdrew. The action helped trigger the simmering conflict between Jadid's and Assad's wings of the Baath Party and army. The Syrian communist party aligned itself with Salah Jadid. The Soviet ambassador, Nuradin Mukdinov was drawn in the power struggle. Hafez al Assad was angered by the meddling in Syrian politics by the Soviet Union, so he decided to scare the Soviets by sending Mustafa Tlass
Mustafa Tlass
Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass is a Syrian politician and a long time minister of defense, now retired.-Rise to power:Tlass was born in the Syrian town of al-Rastan near the city of Homs to a prominent Sunni Muslim family. He joined the Ba'ath Party at the age of 15, and met Hafez al-Assad when studying...
to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to procure arms and wave Chairman Mao's little Red Book. In November 1970, Jadid attempted to fire Assad and his supporter Mustafa Tlass
Mustafa Tlass
Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass is a Syrian politician and a long time minister of defense, now retired.-Rise to power:Tlass was born in the Syrian town of al-Rastan near the city of Homs to a prominent Sunni Muslim family. He joined the Ba'ath Party at the age of 15, and met Hafez al-Assad when studying...
, which in turn caused Assad to launch an intra-party coup against Jadid, dubbed the Corrective Movement
1970 Syrian Corrective Revolution
The 1970 Syrian Corrective Revolution, better known as the Syrian Corrective Movement, was a military-pragmatist faction's takeover within the Ba'ath party regime of Syria on November 13, 1970, bringing Hafez al-Assad to power.-Background:...
. Jadid was arrested, and remained in prison until his death in 1993, while al-Assad would remain in power until his death in 2000, and his son until present.