When Aflaq and al-Bitar lost the power struggle and were forced to escape from Syria in 1966, al-Arsuzi replaced Aflaq as the main ideologue of the Syrian-led faction of the Ba'ath Party.
Saat Aflaq dan al-Bitar kehilangan kekuasaan dan terpaksa kabur dari Suriah pada 1966, al-Arsuzi menggantikan Aflaq sebagai pakar ideologi utama faksi pimpinan Suriah dari Partai Ba'ath.