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Secret War in the Middle East: The Covert Struggle for Syria, 1949-1961
This work is an in-depth study of Syrian politics and foreign relations between 1949 and 1961. Previously unstudied aspects of Syrian covert intervention in the 1958 Lebanese Civil War and of a Syrian-Jordanian "dirty war" are also included.
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.
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.
- GenresHistory
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 14, 2015
قرأت النسخة العربية وهي غير مدرجة هنا
February 24, 2021
I picked this up over a year ago at Beirut Airport and I'm kicking myself for not reading it until now. Secret War in the Middle East makes an excellent companion piece to Youssef Chaitani's Post-Colonial Syria and Lebanon [IB Tauris, 2007], and weirdly Rathmell's account of spooky going-ons eminating from Syria makes the more straightforward account of diplomacy from Chaitani easier to understand.
This is student friendly in the sense that Rathmell tells the reader what he is looking at and why at the beginning of each chapter, then after the description/ analysis of events ends each chapter with a clear and concise conclusion that can be drawn from his findings. He also helpfully includes which sources he has had no option to use, but has reservations over [Miles Copeland being the obvious example]. Rathmell also has access to senior figures in the CIA, State Department and UK FCO which is always handy. Remarkably he has been granted interviews with ageing SSNP members over the events covered in the book- worth reading for those sections alone.
If I have one irritation with the piece is Rathmell occasionally throws in tantalising bits of gossip that go nowehere, but nevertheless are interesting in a toilet wall scribble kind of way. For instance, I would like to know more about a disagreement Sarraj had with a US Colonel that led to a punch up between the two. [Also he needs to review his notes here- was the Colonel called Robert Molloy or Mallory? Also was the leader of the US Plot called Howard Stone or Warren Stone? These are minor quibbles that do not affect Rathmell's analysis or conclusions in any way, but clarity would be appreciated in future editions.]
Secret War also a good read for the casual reader who has limited knowledge of modern Middle Eastern History, but I would advise for future editions to put a plate section in with portraits of the main protagonists just to make visualising the characters and events easier.
Nevertheless, despite these issues, this remains a fascinating account of a not widely known period of History and is worth a look for anyone interested in the Modern Middle East or Espionage History.
This is student friendly in the sense that Rathmell tells the reader what he is looking at and why at the beginning of each chapter, then after the description/ analysis of events ends each chapter with a clear and concise conclusion that can be drawn from his findings. He also helpfully includes which sources he has had no option to use, but has reservations over [Miles Copeland being the obvious example]. Rathmell also has access to senior figures in the CIA, State Department and UK FCO which is always handy. Remarkably he has been granted interviews with ageing SSNP members over the events covered in the book- worth reading for those sections alone.
If I have one irritation with the piece is Rathmell occasionally throws in tantalising bits of gossip that go nowehere, but nevertheless are interesting in a toilet wall scribble kind of way. For instance, I would like to know more about a disagreement Sarraj had with a US Colonel that led to a punch up between the two. [Also he needs to review his notes here- was the Colonel called Robert Molloy or Mallory? Also was the leader of the US Plot called Howard Stone or Warren Stone? These are minor quibbles that do not affect Rathmell's analysis or conclusions in any way, but clarity would be appreciated in future editions.]
Secret War also a good read for the casual reader who has limited knowledge of modern Middle Eastern History, but I would advise for future editions to put a plate section in with portraits of the main protagonists just to make visualising the characters and events easier.
Nevertheless, despite these issues, this remains a fascinating account of a not widely known period of History and is worth a look for anyone interested in the Modern Middle East or Espionage History.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews