Adib Chichakli

Adib ibn Hassan Chichakli (1909 - 1964) (Arab: أديببنحسنالشيشكلي) is a military leader and a politician Syria N.

Youth

Adib Chichakli is born in a Kurdish family in the town of Hama in Syria. It is used the French Army under the era of the mandate then made studies for the military academy of Damas, where he becomes member of the nationalist Parti social Syrian (PSNS), political party founded by Antoun Saadé which aims at creating a " Syrie" according to the old borders. His/her brother, Salah, are member him also PSNS. After the independence of Syria, Chichakli directs one of the regiments of the Armée with Arab release which fights the forces Zionists at the time of the Israeli-Arab war of 1948.

Military career and policy

After the Arab defeat at the time of this war, the colonel Husni Al-Za' im proceeds to a Coup d'etat in 1949, putting fine at the Syrian parliamentary system. Antoun Saadé, the president-founder of the PSNS must flee the Lebanon where he was condemned to death. He takes refuge in Syria where colonel Zaim promises protection to him. However, a few months later Zaim deliver Saadé to the Lebanese authorities and this last is shot. After its treason, Zaim is him even victim of a coup d'etat. The colonel Sami Al-Hinnawi, member of the PSNS, wants to avenge death for Saadé, it stops colonel Zaim and the fact carried out. The woman of Saadé receives an Al Hinnawi letter indicating to him that the death of her husband was avenged.

Chichakli worked with Hinnawi, the new Syrian president.

Seizure of power

In December 1949, Chichakli launched another coup d'etat, stopping president Hinnawi to put an end to the influence Hachémite in Syria. It is at the origin of the assassination of colonel Mohammad Nasser, chief of the Syrian air force because it wanted to put an end to the popularity from of which profited Chichakli within the army. What considerably weakened the Syrians who wanted a union of Syria and Iraq, but the union continued to be defended by the Prime Minister, Nazim Al-Kudsi.

To limit the influence of the hachémites, Chichakli made so that each government has, the Minister for defense is his right-hand man, Fawzi Selu. When the Prime Minister, Maarouf Al-Dawalibi which was pro-Iraqi refused the entry in his government of Selu, Chichakli made it stop, the November 28th 1951. But it also made stop all the politicians pro-Iraqi, even his former Prime Minister Al-Kudsi. By protest Atassi resigned of the government and it returned in the opposition. Chichakli benefits from the crisis to name his/her comrade Selu, Head of State major of the armies, Prime Minister, Minister for defense and Head of State. But Sélu was not that a development all the capacities were actually in the hands of Chichakli. It directed the government policy in slide and consequently chaired occasion a secret military committee.

Chichakli with the capacity

With the end of the year 1951, several demonstrations burst in Syria supports some with the Egyptian freedom fighters who revolted against the British occupant. In front of all these demonstrations, and not to attract the hostility of the British, Chichakli intervenes militarily for the second time. It starts by dissolving the Parliament, pushes the president of the republic to the resignation and ended up prohibiting the national Party and the Party of the people.

Initially, the Communist party, the Baath and the Arab Socialist party escape repression. But Chichakli and the opposition maintains the difficult reports/ratios, and the April 6th 1952, all the political parties are prohibited. Immediately after, the press is victim of censure, the strikes and gatherings are prohibited and all the newspapers which were not pro-governmental are prohibited.

In August 1952, it founds a pro-governmental political party, the Arab Liberation movement, and the country passes for the first time, under the mode of sole party. Baath, become clandestine, valley of the contacts with the left opposition and adverse officers with the mode. The December 28th 1952, the authorities discover the plot and 66 officers are stopped. The following day, Michel Aflaq, Salah Bitar and Akram Hourani are put under stop. They are imprisoned, but profiting from complicity to the center even of the army, they flee and leaves the country for Lebanon. The three men organize the anti-Chichakli opposition since Beirut, but Chichakli obtains their expulsion, and they are run away for the Italy.

The opposition definitively subdued, Chichakli sets up a presidential regime. With the approach of elections, it liberalizes the country somewhat, and legalizes parties. But disorganized by repression, the opposition requires the carryforward of the poll. The government refuses, and the elections are boycotted. The MLA (started from Chichakli) gains the elections by obtaining 72 seats out of the 82 which account the assembly. The party which was an empty shell, very quickly integrated women, and was claimed of a moderate socialism. Some show Chichakli to be comprised in a kind of " César arabe". In 1953, Chichakli put in scene a Référendum to be made elect president of the republic, but vis-a-vis a strong dissidence, it gave up.

Foreign politics

Chichakli maintained of good relationship with the Western countries, and maintained the position intransigent of Syria with respect to Israel. The relations of Syria with the Jordan and Iraq hachémite were rare, but he especially was wary of the fast diffusion of the Nassérisme. Much thinks that the coup d'etat of the movement of the free officers in 1952, took as a starting point the coup d'etat de Chichakli in 1949 and 1951. But it had very good relationship with the royal family of Saudi Arabia, the king Abdel Aziz Ibn Saoud and the king Talal of Jordan which did not have any ambition in Syria contrary with his/her father the king Abdallah and with his son, the king Hussein. But in spite of the dissensions which it had with certain Arab countries, of its policy pro-Westerner and his Kurdish origins, it adopted a Syrian policy panarabe.

Its relations with the the United States and the the United Kingdom blew the heat and the cold. Very early at the time of its takeover, the British supported it hoping that thus the Syrians would adopt a treaty of defense of the the Middle East pro-British. The United States gave considerable money sums to Chichakli so that it accommodates in Syria of the refugees Palestinians and that it makes Syrian citizens of them. But in spite of the money large sums he refused, because he did not accept the defeat of Arabic and in addition refused to sign a peace treaty with Israel.

Its fall

It was Atassi and the leader Druze, Sultan Al-Atrash which animated the anti-Chichakli opposition. The greatest anti-Chichakli meeting had been held with Homs in the house of Atassi, in answer, Chichakli had made stop wire of these two politicians. A dissatisfaction growing involves the bursting of a revolt to the Djébel el-Druze, the insurrectionists were supported by Jordan and Iraq hachémite. The rebellion counted among its rows, of the dissidents of the army, and it supports of many militants baathists. The January 25th, Aflak, Bitar and Hourani which had regained the country meanwhile, are done again stopped because of this revolt. Dissatisfaction gains the Syrian population as well as the army, and the very same day, the general Moustafa Hamdoun, ordering garrison of Alep lance a coup d'etat which will achieve in February 1954. Thus Chichakli leaves Syria for Lebanon by fear of the bursting of a civil war. The members of the coup d'etat included of the members of the Communist party, the leaders Druzes, the members of the party Baath, they probably profited from the Iraqi support. With the fall of Chichakli, the political prisoners are released, the army enters its barracks, the Parliament of 1949 is pointed out and a new government is made up.

In Lebanon where it had taken refuge, it is death threat by the chief Druze Kamal Joumblatt, in front of this death threat, it is exiled for the Brésil. Before the union between Egypt and Syria in 1958, Chichakli had the idea to use the money which Iraq had provided to risen which were opposed to him to carry out a coup d'etat in Syria. But the blow is put in failure by the Syrian secret services. He is then condemned to death.

The September 27th 1964, Chichakli is assassinated in Brazil by a Syrian Druze sent by the government of Hafez el-Assad which wanted to be avenged for the bombardments of the Syrian army in the mountains Syrian woman where lived the Druzes. The Syrian government makes then the decision to kill all the men of the Chichakli family, everywhere in the world. Only two men of this family survived this policy of assassination. When the Druze who assassinated Chichakli died in 2005, he was celebrated like a national héro by his community.

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