Word: nasserism
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Overbearing Allies. Noman's peace drive obviously has the tacit blessing of Nasser, who is pained by the $500,000-a-day drain and the occupation of the Egyptian army in a bloody and endless war. In fact, everyone is fed up. The royalist tribes have had their villages bombed to rubble and lost an estimated 40,000 dead. The republican tribes resent their overbearing Egyptian allies, and are discouraged by lack of success in the field. Saudi Arabia's King Feisal, who backs the Imam, would be happy to see the Egyptians leave Yemen...
There is probably nothing else in the world as unpredictable as an Arab mob. Even so, it was astonishing to see the thousands swarming in the streets of Tunis last week for a demonstration against Arabdom's would-be leader, Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser-and, in effect, for Israel...
Taking Wing. The West applauded Bourguiba's effort to begin an Arab-Israeli dialogue, but Israel's Arab neighbors responded with a bellow of rage. Two months ago, Bourguiba had infuriated Middle East Arabs by rallying North Africa to reject Nasser's campaign against West Germany. Now Bourguiba's Arab critics were angrier than ever. Government radios, from Baghdad to Cairo, blasted Bourguiba as a traitor, a madman "who should be locked in an asylum," and as a Judas "who should be immediately executed." Mobs blossomed in the streets of half a dozen Arab capitals...
...outdone, Bourguiba's government had arranged for some 10,000 to hit the streets in Tunis. Tossing the "madman" epithet right back at Cairo, the mob paraded with banners reading "Palestinians recognize in Bourguiba their real defender" and "A firing squad for Nasser!", then broke through police lines to stone the Iraqi embassy and smash down the door at the Egyptian. Ambassadors took wing like homing pigeons. Egypt huffily ordered its envoy out of Tunisia, and in a single day Tunisian diplomats to Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad arrived back in Tunis...
...week's end Bourguiba sent off a 2,000-word letter to Nasser proposing a personal meeting. "We are in agreement on the heart of the problem," he wrote confidently. The only divergence was "about the course of action." Few observers expected either a meeting or any action...