Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-04
Syrio Announces Soboteur Roundup,
Asserts Agents Were Hired Abroad

Jay Tie REVOLUTIONARY army
haSsrounded up saboteurs hired
from abroad to infiltrate Syria.
The announcement, broad
cast by Radio Damascus, limited
the sabateurs were hired by
President Nasser of the United
Arab Republic. against which
Syria revolted last week.
Broadcast communicates re-
ported the lifting Of all cur
feEs, the return of the army
Officers who organized the re-
volt to their regular military
jobs, and the arrest of "Sus-
peeted persons who had infil-
trated the country"
Mr.. Baroodi then took the
microphone to declare "these
three communicates announce
the crushing of saboteurs, who
were hired by those who claim
Arabism."
Persons Not Identified
He did not say who he meant
but he repeated those who
claim ArabiSm, claim faith in
unity and hire enemies of Arab
ism"
He said that among those
arrested were persons already
facing death sentences in Syria
and. others wanted as criminals.
"They were turned over to
the legal authorities to get
their due punishment" the
Minister declared. =
They could have come from
several groupS-the Communist
Party, the prescribed Greater.
Syria Party or former right
wing organizations. In 1857, be-
fore the merger with Egypt,
large numbers of Syrians were
sentenced in absentia on
charges of plotting to overthrow
the government.
Syrian officers indicated to-
day their September % upris-
ing started as little more than
an armed grievance demonStra-
ton. They blamed Egyptian
Field Marshal Abdel Hakim
Amer for its extension into the
revolt that wrecked the United
Arab Republic.
Field Marshal Blamed
Two brigadier generals of the
six ma n revolutionary COM
mand-Abdel Gehani Dahman
and Muaffak Assas a hold
newsmen the United Arab Re-
public would still exist if the
field marshal had accepted de-
mands that Cairo loosen its
reins.
Specific demands, they said.
were for more Syrian control of !
the Egyptian dominated Syrian !
Army, more autonomy for Syria |
and repeal of unpopular eco !
noinic decreeS imposed by I
President NaSser's JAR admin {
istration last summer.
They said the revolutionary
command negotiated here for {
more than eight hours with !
Marshal Amer, commander-in- ,
chief of VAR armed forces. BY
their account, Marshal Amer s
first accepted and then re- |
jected the demands. II
The new Syrian Army COM
mander said President Nasserts /,
agents had moved like an oc- {
topus to weaken the Syrian /
Army, suffocate freedom of !
citizens and fill prisons"
Rising Explained
Gen. Abdel Karin Zahredin
told reporters yesterday that
wassthe reason the Syrian army !
rose, against President Nasser's /
United Arab Republic last week
and forcibly severed Syria's
2l2-year-old ties with Egypt.
Gen. Zahredin also accused
Cairo agents of stealing mil
lions Of dollars worth of Syri-
an arms and equipment for
shipment TO Egypt.
He said President Nasser's
intelligence officers filled
Syria's prisons with political
prisoners and stifled individual
liberties.
The army's only aim was b
redress wrongs and it was
pledged not to interfere with {
the political life of Syria" he /
said. /
Informed sources said that {
one way President Nasser
weakened the Syrian Army was {
to send several dozen Syrian
officers to Communist coun- s
tries as students. They said
the action was aimed at pre-
venting such an uprising as
that which occurred and that S
Syria now has demanded their
prompt return. I
Political Prisoners Found |
Interior Minister Adnan Ku- {,
watly told newsmen the new =
Syrian regime had found a :
large number of political pris- !.
oners but had been unable
to come UP with an accurate
count. Premier Mamoun Kuz-
bari estimated the number at !,
about 10000 yesterday.
Mn. Kuwatly said the
dreaded internal security sys- ,
TEN at one time had about $500 !
secret agents with a monthly T
payroll of about | million I
Syrian pounds C$2,8O0,0O0J.
Syria will continue it's ban on
the Communist Party, Mr.. Ku-
watly said, adding that I'VE
will leave the question of po-
litical parties to Parliament" ,
Despite the ban, the under
ground Communist Party Is
sued a statement hailing the
revolution and urging the crea-
ton Of a national front.
-MrThn r,intnn.rr IF tho Crr,.in, =. '