Word: assads
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President Hafez Assad, who politely received Nixon at the airport, had made no effort to get out big crowds. Not until the presidential limousine reached Damascus, 28 miles from the airport, was there any buildup of spectators along the roadside. Then Nixon asked that the roof of the car be opened, and the two Presidents stood to wave to the crowd, which numbered perhaps 100,000. The people smiled and waved back but did little cheering. Though American flags dotted the route, only one placard was visible. It said pointedly: REVOLUTIONARY DAMASCUS WELCOMES PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON...
...French in 1945, Syria underwent a generation of coups and countercoups. One of the most significant revolts happened in 1963 when the Baathist (Renaissance) movement came to power, preaching Arab unity and Arab socialism. But the Baath government eventually dissolved into fighting factions, and in 1970 Defense Minister Hafez Assad turned out President Noureddine Atassi's government and took control himself...
Split Personality. Assad's National Progressive Front government has been the most stable in some 20 years because it includes not only Baathists but also Socialists and Communists. More significantly, Assad has so far successfully balanced the major elements that constitute power in Syria: the army, the Baath Party Organization, Parliament and the Council of Ministers. Routine matters are handled by the Cabinet and the 186-man Parliament, while all issues affecting Syria's security are referred to the 21-member Baath Party High Command, acting as a court of appeal. But it is the army that wields...
...Syrian leader must take account of the country's religious division. Its population of 6.9 million is predominantly Sunni Moslem, although there are 1.5 million Christians, 500,000 Shia Moslems, mostly Alawites and Druzes. Assad is a member of the Alawites, an impoverished minority that has risen to power because of its strong representation in the military. But the Alawites who dominate the military high command could not rule without Sunni support. General Tlas, for example, is a Sunni and acknowledged to be the second most powerful man in Syria...
...Assad is slowly turning Syria into a more open society. Middle-class Syrians who fled the Baathist coups are being wooed back with economic inducements, while foreign investment is being encouraged with guarantees of repatriation of profits. New hotels are being built, including a 350-room Damascus-Sheraton and a 400-room French Meridien. In the meantime, the old hotels and marketplaces are suddenly filled with Western and Japanese businessmen who sense the tantalizing opportunities that Economy Minister Imadi has outlined. If disengagement and peace work out, Damascenes will once again look westward. "We prefer the West," one government official...