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Kharroum, Sudan, via a BOAC jec.
Ac che scrong urging of Egypc's Presi–
denc Sadac, rhe Libyan boss, Colonel
Qaddafi, forccd che BOAC planc ro
land in Libya and cook cwo of rhe
Sudanese Communisrs off rhe plane
by force.
The rwo councries then airlifred a
2,000-man brigade of loyal Sudanese
rroops from rhe Suez Canal ro an air
base near Kharcoum. They spear–
headed rhe arrack rhar rcinscarcd Nu–
meiry as Sudanese head of srare. Kick
number rwo for che Soviet Union!
The resulc of the shorr-l ivcd Red
coup in rhe Sudan was a nasry jolt for
Russian-Arab harmony. The Arabs
became even more suspicious of rhe
Russian milirary adviscrs and rcch–
nicians when ir was lcarned thar rhey
had tried ro srop loya lisr rroops from
using ranks and aircrafr against the
rebels by disabling rhe ranks and ham–
pering govemmcnr efforrs ro put
clown rhe insurgency.
The countercoup was a disrincr ser–
back for rhe Russians, buc they had co
swallow rheir pride.
The Sudan had the largesr Com–
munisr parry in Africa, wirh sorne
20.000 members. Once Numeirv was
back in power, he rriggered a vigor–
ous crackdown on thc Comrnunist
leaders. Many of thcm wcrc immedi–
arely exccurcd, including che sccrc–
rary-general of che Sudanese
Communisc Parry and che Presidenr
of rhe Suclancse F'edcracion of Tradc
Unions. Numeiry rold his pcople ro
arresr all Communisrs. "They are rrai–
rors and murderers," he said.
The exccurion of rhc secrcrarv-gen–
eral may nor be che biggesr serback
che Russians have received in che
Middle Easr. Bur ir was a humiliacing
slap in che F.tcc.
At a time when che oviets should
have been retping rhc rcwards of rhcir
long and parienc cultivation of che
Arabs, umeirv's revolurionary Suda–
nese regime, supposcdly a fricnd of
che Soviet Union, launchcd rhc fier–
cesr anri-Communisr wirch-hunr che
Arab world has scen for rnany yca rs.
PlAIN TRUTH Oecember 1972
Ir was really roo much for rhe Russians.
Numeiry also expelled Soviet and
Bulgarian diplomars from his coun–
rry, recaJJed his ambassadors ro ehose
rwo Communisr counrrics and senr
his defense minisrer ro Peking ro dis–
cuss economic and milita!)• aid, pre–
viously supplied br Moscow.
Moscow's Growing
Un populari ty
The alliance berween Soviet impc–
rialism and Arab nationalism has al–
ways been one of cynical expediency.
One reason is rhe basic conrradicrion
berween Communism and Islam. An–
orher is chat che Arabs have been in–
veigled into opening cheir gatcs ro
the
only country in the world that has
strate¡:ic
desi¡:t~
a¡:ainst their iands
-
rhe neighboring Russian superpower.
In spire of rhe Soviet Union's aid
ro che Arab counrries,
no/ one
of che
Arab leaders in power is a Commu–
nisc. Sadar, a srricr Moslem. is even
more suspicious of Communism rhan
was Nasser. The Sovier-Egyprian
rreary
cannot
conceal rhe facr that che
Kremlin has larely losr just about all
irs imporrant friends in Cairo.
Qaddafi of Libya is fanarically in–
roleranr of Communism - co say
norhing of rhe various Arab sheikhs.
Even Presidenr Hafez el-Assad of
Syria would like ro become lcss de–
pcndenr on rhc Soviet Union for eco–
nomic and mílirary aid. According ro
one Russian diplomar: "S}'ria takes
everyrhing from us - excepr advice.''
Hussein is obviously "pro-Wesrern."
Iraq is in a stare of confusion. Mor–
coceo
and Saudi Arabia are mon–
archics which are narurally anri–
Communisr.
Libya's Qaddafi has srrong ín–
Oucncc over Egypr and Syría, espe–
cially in view of rhe facr rhat rhe
rhree counrries present!y constiruce
rhc Fcderarion of Arab Republics and
rhat Egypt and Libya are presently
merging. His uncompromisingly anri–
Communisr stand will cenainly rub
offon rhe orher Arab leaders.
There is no doubr char che biggesr
loser in all rhe evenrs rhar rook place
during che pase year in rhe Arab
world is rhe Soviet Union. The
avowed defenders of Nasser's heri–
rage, men who once enjoved
Moscow's favor, were all pur on rrial
in Cairo, including Ali Sabry, rhe
former vice-presidenr and "Moscow's
man in Cairo."
Sovier Presidenr Nicolai V. Pod–
gorny is said ro have rold President
Sadar in Cairo: ..All Russians respecr
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