Secret War in the Middle East: The Covert Struggle for Syria, 1949-1961

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Covert action and terrorism have played major roles in the policies of the Middle East. It is impossible to comprehend the intricacies of regional politics without an understanding of the covert machinations that lie beneath the surface. This work is an in-depth study of Syrian politics and foreign relations between 1949 and 1961.; Topics covered include the role of foreign governments in manipulating Syria's numerous military coups; the covert struggle to remove Adib al-Shishakli, the conflicts in the late 1950s between Syrian politicians and officers, the consolidation of power in Syria by chief Abd al-Hamid Sarraj and his covert battles with Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq from 1957 onwards. Previously unstudied aspects of Syrian covert intervention in the 1958 Lebanese Civil War and of a Syrian-Jordanian "dirty war" are also included. Throughout the book, particular attention is paid to the role of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

Reviews

'Middle East scholars have always had a hard time dealing with conspiracies as explanations for political turmoil. On the one hand, the political culture is prone to explain everything in terms of conspiracies, and the lack of tangible evidence is never a barrier to the most imaginative of theories. On the other hand, it is clearly naive to dismiss the political role of various intelligence services, particularly in the 1950s. The virtue of this book is that it examines the evidence supporting and refuting covert activity in Syria - an excellent choice since that nation was the target of many covert actions by its neighbours as well as powers outside the region.' William B. Quant, Foreign Affairs 'Rathmell - focus[es] on the "almost constant intrigues" in which Middle Eastern politicians indulged, and - show[s] just how important these are. He concludes, correctly, that Middle Eastern phobias about the West are partly justified, but that the main source of covert action lies within the region itself... And he locates the origins of today's rogue activities, especially terrorism, in the activities of forty years ago.' Daniel Pipes, Middle East Quarterly

Author Bio

Andrew Rathmell is a director of Aktis Strategy Ltd and Visiting Professor at Exeter University's Strategy and Security Institute.