Salah Aldine Al-Bitar (rear RTL صلاحالدينالبيطار) (born with Damas in 1912, died with Paris the July 21st 1980) was a Syrian politician and a nationalist Arabic at the origin with Michel Aflaq of the Parti Baath. During their studies in Paris with the beginning of the year 30, Michel Aflaq et al. Bitar worked together to develop an ideology panarabe which combine at the same time aspects of the Nationalisme and Arab Socialisme.

Al Bitar was Prime Minister of several Syrian governments, but had to flee the country in 1966 after the toughening of the Baath party and the new government set up by the soldiers, of which Salah Jedid. There lived the remainder of its life in Europe, and remained active politically, until its assassination on July 21st, 1980.

Its youth

Salah Aldine Al-Bitar was born in 1912 with Midan, a district of Damas. He is the son of a merchant sunnite. He is resulting from a very religious family, and several member of its family were Ouléma S or preachers in Mosquée S Syrian. Al Bitar grew in a preserving family, and to study in a Moslem elementary school before making its secondary studies with Maktab Anbar.

Living in Midan, it was influenced by the Syrian Révolution of 1925 against the French occupant. Midan was bombarded with many recoveries, resulting in the death of hundreds of civilians.

Its studies

Al Bitar makes its studies in France with the Sorbonne. It become acquainted there with Michel Aflaq an orthodoxe Christian which is like him it son of a small merchant. Together they are interested in the political movements and intellectual of the time, and were interested more particularly in nationalism and the Marxisme. They found the Union of the Arab Students in France. Al Bitar returns to Syria in 1934, or he becomes professor of mathematics and of physics at the school Tajhiz Al-Ula or Michel Aflaq taught already.

Its entry in policy

Bitar, Aflaq and some friends are expressed in a review, At Taliya , - Avant-garde -. According to the historian Hanna Batatu, they showed a greater interest for the social questions than national. Their political orientations were close to those of the Syrian Communist party. But in 1936, following the victory of the Popular front in France, they note that the Communists are done much more moderate, obeying in that with the instructions come from Moscow.

In 1939, Bitar and Aflaq create Al-ihyaa' Al 'arabi - Circle of the Arab Rebirth -. It is their first use of name Al-ba' HT Al 'arabi, which has a similar significance. They are joined by Zaki Al Arzouzi a Alaouite of Alexandrette which fought the Turkey and which has also been essential for several years, with its nationalist Ligue of action and its Circle of the Arabism.

Al Bitar and Aflaq resign of their post of teacher the October 24th 1942, to return definitively in the political world. They gained much support and in 1945, the first office elected of the Parti Baath was formed. The party is then prohibited, but the rising of Damas of May 1945 still reinforces its audience and, the July 3rd 1946 authorized again, it can publish the first number of the newspaper entitled Al Baath. The following year, Baath gained a big number of adhering when the majority of the defenders of Zaki Al-Arsuzi carried out by Wahib Al-Ghanim joined it.

The Baath Party

The first congress of the party was held in Damas in 1947, Bitar is elected there general secretary. Thanks to the constitution adopted with the congress, Aflaq becomes 'amid which can be translated by " doyen" , which makes of him the true leader of the movement.

In 1952, the Head of Syrian State Adib Shishakli prohibits all the political parties. Al-Bitar and Aflaq take refuge with the Lebanon. They meet in Lebanon Akram Al-Hawrani, a Syrian politician who has creates the Parti Arab Socialist. This party profits from a broad audience among the farming community in the area of Hama in Syria, as well as a considerable influence in the Syrian soldiers.

The three politicians agree to amalgamate their parties, and in 1954 they work with the inversion of president Al-Shishakli. A new congress ratifies the fusion of the two parts, the party takes the name of Parti Baath Arab socialist . The constitution in force at the time of the last congress of 1947 was not modified.

Policy in Syria, 1954-1963

After the fall of Al-Shishakli, Syria held of the democratic elections. Bitar is elected appointed of Damas, thus beating the general secretary of the Parti social nationalist Syrian, one of most important the ideological adversary of Baath.

Of 1956 with 1958, he is Foreign Minister. With other baathists, it militates in favor of the unification of the Egypt of Nasser and of Syria. With the unification of the two countries, he becomes Minister for the United Arab Republic.

As much of Syrian politician it was disappointed result of this fusion and attitude of Egypt. He resigns of his station the following year. Al Bitar belongs to the sixteen Syrian politicians to have to sign a declaration for the dissolution of the new Arab republic. The members of the parties have summers shocked by the attitude of Bitar, and it has to retract its signature. Baath divides after the secession of Syria, most of militant base turns to the Nassérisme.

Al Bitar, remains with Aflaq with the direction of the party, which maintained an attitude pro reunification, but remains nevertheless more careful than the nasserists and than the Arab Nationalist movement of George Habache and Zureik on prone.

Toughening of Baath

In 1963 a military coup d'etat pro-reunification takes place. Members of the coup d'etat included of the baathists, the nasserists and other nationalists Arab. They establish a revolutionary council, which becomes the most important Syrian institution. The council proposes with Al Bitar to become Prime Minister and to be with the head of a coalition governmental joining together the pro-reunifications. Al Bitar accepts, and some time after it reaches the revolutionary council. However the soldiers baathists did not have the same design of the policy that Bitar and Aflaq, they belonged to an young generation, which was as in more radical Iraq.

The radicals take the control of Baath after the behavior of the sixth congress of the party. The party adopts a program of extreme left inspired by Soviet socialism. Al Bitar is renewed with the government after riots which took place with Hama and which made several deaths. However it did not have any more any true capacity, it had become the face of a new mode with which it was ideologically and politically hostile.

Its exile

Bitar was given for objective to draw aside the army of the capacity, and dismisses for that 200 officers, which involves the February 23rd 1966, a coup d'etat carried out by the military committee of the Baath party. Bitar and other historic leaders of the party are stopped. It is able to escape and takes refuge with Beirut. In 1969, it is condemned to died for its escape by a military tribunal. The following year, Hafez el-Assad forgives it and the pardoned one. After a short return to Damas, it meets president Assad with whom it had a four hours conversation. He told his discussion with Assad with French journalist M-C Aulas Your mode says it, lack of legitimacy. You remember the large things that we have make of 1954 to 1958? Today only the democracy could give a renewal of vitality to Syria. Today Syria died . He also adds that there is actually more Baath, neither in Damas, nor in Baghdad. Another French journalist met it, Eric Rouleau which interviewed it mid-July 1980. He tells in Rouleau that he asked Assad to liberalize Syria and to withdraw his troops of Lebanon, or they make figures of occupying army