In 1969, Arab nationalist military officers seized power in Libya. The ideological influence of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser over the new Libyan government was immediately apparent. The administration was immediately recognized by the Arab nationalist governments in Egypt, Iraq, Sudan and Syria with Egypt sending experts to aid Libya's inexperienced government. Gaddafi propounded Pan-Arab ideas, proclaiming the need for a single Arab state stretching across North Africa and the Middle East. In December 1969, Libya founded the Arab Revolutionary Front with Egypt and Sudan as a step towards political unification, and in 1970 Syria stated its intention to join.