Morocco-Syria: between support and treachery, the ingratitude of the Assads towards the Kingdom

The fall of the Assad regime raises questions about the future of Moroccan-Syrian relations, but also recalls a long history marked by differences and tensions, even treachery. A look back at the most significant stabs of the Baathist regime in the back of Morocco. The history of Moroccan-Syrian relations is riddled with betrayals. Since the early 1970s, the relationship between Morocco and the Syrian Baathist regime has been asymmetrical: Morocco has increased its fraternal gestures, while the Syrian regime has often acted ungratefully. “I love you, neither” The former Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdel Halim Khaddam, sums up this relationship well: “We fought King Hassan II, but he supported us against Israel,” according to Egyptian researcher Hassan El Badaoui, author of the book Egyptian-Moroccan Relations 1956-1981. Khaddam, vice-president of Hafez El Assad from 1984, explained that relations between Syria and Morocco were tense in the 1960s because of the influence of the Baath movement and Arab nationalism. However, in 1972, these relations were restored when Syria sought support from Arab countries for the war against Israel. During his visit to Morocco, Khaddam was surprised by the warm welcome from King Hassan II who offered to send Moroccan troops to support Syria. Political issues After this visit and also that of the chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces during the Israeli-Arab war of 1973, Saad el-Shazly, on February 9, 1973, Hassan II decided to also send units of the Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) stationed in Libya awaiting an intervention in the Egyptian Sinai, other units to the Syrian Golan. On February 22, 1972, he made the announcement in a speech. At that time, the late King wanted to “reconnect with the Arab dimension,” explains the former historian of the kingdom Hassan Aourid. While he was not very inclined to pan-Arabism which transcended the Arab world, opting instead for the Islamic dimension in 1969 with the holding of the first Islamic conference in Rabat following the arson of the Al Aqsa mosque in Al Quds (Jerusalem), Hassan II felt betrayed by the Western bloc after the coups of 1971 and 1972, in particular by the latter instigated by General Oufkir, known for his relations with Western countries and Israel. Guerrillas trained in the Syrian camp of Zabadani A few days after the announcement of the sending of a battalion of 5,450 soldiers, 30 tanks, 12 planes and 4 F-5 planes, Morocco was shaken at the beginning of March by the “aborted revolution” or the events of Moulay Bouazza, named after a village in the Middle Atlas near Khénifra where “the inglorious heroes” (book by Mehdi Bennouna), belonging to the Tanzim – an armed organization dependent on the UNFP party – launched an insurrection that was quickly suppressed. Historian Mohammed Louma, former member of the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP) and Tanzim and author of The Aborted Revolution, returned in a podcast by journalist Ismail Azzam on the capital role of the president overthrown by Hafez El Assad, Salah Jedid, in the training of anti-monarchist activists. The genius of Hassan II Hassan II, known for his skill in international relations, killed several birds with one stone by deciding to participate in the Arab coalition of eight countries which would confront Israel during the Ramadan war. Thus, he resolved thorny questions both national and international: neutralizing Syria, which supported its internal enemies, putting an end to the supporters of the armed struggle, and putting on his side Hafez El Assad, who despite his belonging nance in the Baath had no liabilities with Morocco. General Safrioui leads the Moroccan expedition Military preparations to send Moroccan troops to Syria were launched in May 1973. General Abdessalam Safrioui was appointed commander of the Moroccan mission, formed of nearly 5,500 soldiers, accompanied by sophisticated military equipment by the standards of the time – according to several historians, it was the one and only tank battalion in Morocco’s possession. A military parade took place in Rabat before the departure of the troops, marking a solemn moment for the country. a military parade took place in Rabat before the departure of the Moroccan battalions for Syria to participate in the 1973 war against Israel. During the ceremony, King Hassan II expressed his pride and emotion by entrusting the flag to the military mission and delivered a solemn speech highlighting the importance of this mission for the Arab cause. The martyr Abdelkader El Allam Abdelkader El Allam, born in 1926 in Sidi Kacem, was one of the most distinguished Moroccan officers. After surviving the failed 1971 coup, he was sent to Syria to lead a unit in the Golan. Although Morocco was experiencing internal political tensions, Moroccan troops left as soon as the decision was made. abdelkader el allam El Allam distinguished himself in combat, and according to several accounts, he almost captured Moshe Dayan, then Israeli Minister of Defense, before dying in combat during the Israeli attack. His body was buried in Quneitra, Syria, where he rests among 170 Moroccan martyrs who fell in battle. The Battle of Mont Cheikh Moroccan participation in the war sparked debate due to the heavy human losses. According to accounts, Moroccan soldiers were trapped by an Israeli offensive due to internal betrayal, and more than 170 Moroccan soldiers died during the Battle of al-Shykh. Other sources claim that internal conspiracies played a role in the heavy defeat. Hafez el Assad visits Moroccan soldiers during the 1973 Ramadan War General Safrioui was criticized by King Hassan II for not informing Morocco of the exact date of the Israeli attack. After the war, the fallen Moroccan soldiers were buried in Quneitra, where King Hassan II paid tribute to their sacrifices during a visit in 1992. Historian Mohammed Louma, who trained Tanzim militants and graduated from the Syrian Military Academy, and who fought alongside the Syrians during that war, says the Moroccan soldiers were misled by a Syrian brigade led by a Druze commander nicknamed Halawa – executed as early as the next day by the Syrian army – which collaborated with the Israelis. Several sources agree that the number of Moroccan soldiers who were martyred that day on Mount al-Shaykh was 170. The confessions of a Jordanian soldier In an interview given to Arabi 21 in 2016, a former Jordanian soldier who participated in the 1973 war on the Syrian front, who became a mathematics teacher, recounts how Syrian soldiers betrayed their Moroccan comrades on the front Syrian. “We were advancing strongly when we saw the Syrian tanks withdrawing on orders from the commanders who were then in the heart of the battle. We did not understand what was happening and we had not received a withdrawal order, but we saw the Syrian forces withdrawing,” he said. “Moroccan forces were on the front line. They therefore could not see the Syrian forces withdrawing and were not informed of the withdrawal order. , specified Abou Riad, explaining that the Moroccan soldiers therefore continued to advance while the Syrians retreated, leaving the Moroccans at the mercy of the Israeli air force. Tribute to the Moroccan soldiers who fell in the Golan During his visit to Syria in 1992, King Hassan II, deeply affected by the loss of his soldiers, first visited the martyrs’ cemetery in Quneitra, before continuing his official visit. This gesture was seen as a symbolic act of support for the Palestinian cause, but also of respect towards the Moroccan soldiers who had sacrificed their lives to defend the Golan. This gesture marked a moment of great emotion for the king and the Moroccan people. Support for the Polisario From the early years of the genesis of the Polisario Front in 1973, founded by the young UNFP activist Mustafa Ouali El-Sayed, who was among a group of young people, under the tutelage of the left-wing opponent, Sheikh Mohammed Basri, enthusiastic in favor of the independence of the Sahara while remaining under Moroccan sovereignty, the Syria of Hafez al-Assad was quick to support the Polisario. The Zabadani camp continued to receive large numbers of young people for training throughout the 1970s, with the aim of overthrowing the regime of Hassan II. Hafez al-Assad harbored a deep hatred towards Hassan II, whom he accused of interfering in Middle Eastern affairs. Continuity This story illustrates the decisive role that Morocco played in the Golan War, highlighting the sacrifices of its soldiers, but also the ingratitude of a regime towards a brother country. Despite this, the Kingdom of Morocco has always shown tolerance towards the government in Damascus, still insisting on the need for it to withdraw its recognition of the separatist movement in Tindouf. Towards the Syrians, Morocco and its King have mobilized to come to the aid of each of their crises. Between the deployment of a medical-surgical field hospital at the Zaatari camp, in the governorate of Al-Mafraq (northeast of Jordan), which provided in 2016 some 217,278 medical services for the benefit of Syrian refugees, and the reception of the latter on Moroccan soil after their expulsion from Algeria, the Sovereign has multiplied the gestures towards a brother people whose regime persisted in countering the interests of Morocco.