Raef al-Maarri ( ar, رائف االمعري) was an officer in the

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

and a deputy of Colonel

Jassem Alwan Jassem Alwan ( ar, جاسم علوان, ''Jāsim ʿAlwān'') (born 4 July 1928 – died 3 January 2018 in Cairo) was a prominent colonel in the Syrian Army, particularly during the period of the United Arab Republic (UAR) (1958–1961) when he serv ...

. Politically aligned with the

Nasserist Nasserism ( ) is an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the two principal leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and Egypt's second President. Spanning the domestic a ...

s, supporters of Egyptian president

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...

, Maarri and Alwan orchestrated a failed coup attempt against the Ba'athist-dominated government that took power in the

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

of 8 March 1963, which toppled the secessionist government of

Nazim al-Qudsi Nazim al-Qudsi ( ar, ناظم القدسي, Nāẓim al-Qudsī or Nadhim Al-Kudisi; 14 February 1906 – 6 February 1998), was a Syrian politician who served as President of Syria from 14 December 1961 to 8 March 1963. Early life and education ...

and

Khalid al-Azm Khalid al-Azm ( ar, خالد العظم, Khālid al-Aẓim; 11 June 1903 – 18 November 1965) was a Syrian national leader and five-time interim Prime Minister, as well as Acting President from 4 April to 16 September 1941. He was a member of o ...

. The latter two themselves gained power after a coup that ended the union with

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in the

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...

. The Nasserists were major participants in the 8 March coup, but were increasingly sidelined by the Ba'athists who executed a mass purging of Nasserists and political independents beginning in late April. Maarri and Alwan planned a counter coup against the Ba'athists with the aid of the

Arab Nationalist Movement The Arab Nationalist Movement ( ar, حركة القوميين العرب, ''Harakat al-Qawmiyyin al-Arab''), also known as the Movement of Arab Nationalists and the Harakiyyin, was a pan-Arab nationalist organization influential in much of the Ar ...

in Syria and Egyptian intelligence. The insurrection was launched on 18 July, but was violently quelled by the security forces led

Amin al-Hafiz Amin al-Hafiz ( ar, أمين الحافظ, Amīn al-Ḥāfiẓ12 November 1921 – 17 December 2009), also known as Amin Hafez was a Syrian politician, general, and member of the Ba'ath Party who served as the President of Syria from 27 Jul ...

, the Ba'athist Interior Minister. Several Nasserist officers were arrested and executed in the immediate aftermath, but Maarri managed to flee the authorities and went into hiding in the

Ghouta Ghouta ( ar, غُوطَةُ دِمَشْقَ / ALA-LC: ''Ḡūṭat Dimašq'') is a countryside and suburban area in southwestern Syria that surrounds the city of Damascus along its eastern and southern rim. Name Ghouta is the Arabic term (''gh ...

countryside of Damascus with Alwan. After being discovered and apprehended, both were tried by a military court where Maarri pleaded guilty to his role in the abortive coup, stating it was an attempt to ensure the unification process with Egypt and Iraq would continue in light of the Ba'athists' perceived anti-unionist actions. Maarri was sentenced to death, but the sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment on 10 December.Jassim Alwan Interview Part 2
''

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

''. He was released a year later in December 1964 with Alwan and several other alleged participants in the July coup in an amnesty agreement. Afterward, the men were escorted to the border with

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

from which they departed for the Egyptian embassy in Beirut to seek asylum in Egypt, which Egypt granted.Mideast Mirror
16. Arab News Agency. 1964. Page 78.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maarri, Raef Nasserists Syrian colonels Syrian exiles Syrian Arab nationalists