Union of Arab Republics

{{Short description|Proposed union of countries}} {{about|the 1972 Iraqi proposal for a union with Egypt and Syria|the 1972–1977 also called "Union" of Egypt, Libya and Syria|Federation of Arab Republics}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox geopolitical organization |name = Union of Arab Republics |native_name =  |image_flag =  |alt_flag =  |flag_border =  |symbol_type =  |image_symbol =  |alt_symbol =  |symbol_width =  |motto = [[Waḥda, Ḥurriyya, Ishtirākiyya]] |englishmotto =  |image_map = Union of Arab Republics 1972.png |loctext =  |alt_map =  |map_width =  |map_caption = The 1972 proposed ''Union of Arab Republics'' (red) was a new version of the 1963 failed ''United Arab Republic'' |org_type =  |membership_type =  |membership =  |admin_center_type =  |admin_center =  |languages_type = Language |languages = [[Modern Standard Arabic]] |leader_title1 =  |leader_name1 = |established = Failed proposal |established_event1 = |established_date1 = |official_website = |footnote1 = }} In March 1972, [[Ba'athist Iraq]] proposed to [[Egypt]] and [[Ba'athist Syria]] a re-establishment of the '''[[United Arab Republic]]''', which failed in 1961. The Iraqi proposal was an immediate reaction to [[Jordan]]'s proposal for a [[King Hussein's federation plan|United Arab Kingdom]] but collided with the already established [[Federation of Arab Republics]] and failed because of Iraqi–Syrian differences.

==Union of Arab Republics== The [[King Hussein's federation plan|United Arab Kingdom]] plan was angrily rejected by the [[Palestinians]], the [[Arab League]] and the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Islamic States]] as well as by [[Israel]]. The Iraqi counter-proposal urged the inclusion of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]<ref>Hassan Tawalba: ''The Ba'th and Palestine'', p. 55f. Dar al-Ma'mun, Bagdad 1982</ref> (to fight united for the liberation of Palestine) in a ''Union of Arab Republics'' instead and invited all other "progressive" Arab states to join.<ref name="Shibli">[[Shibli al-Aysami]]: ''Einheit, Freiheit, Sozialismus'', p. 99–102. Valle Olona, Varese 1978</ref><ref name="Ron">[[Robin Leonard Bidwell]]: ''Dictionary of Modern Arab History'', p. 429f. Routledge, New York 1998</ref>

[[Libya]], however, would need to be excluded. At least for the beginning. [[Iraq]] accused Libyan [[List of heads of government of Libya|prime minister]] [[Muammar Gaddafi]] of inciting Iraqi-Syrian conflicts while Gaddafi condemned the Iraqi regime for its approach to the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[Iraqi Communist Party|Iraqi communists]].<ref name="Shibli"/><ref name="ITN">Reuters 27 March 1972: ''[http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/RTV/1972/03/27/BGY508150465/?s= Iraqi Delegation Arrives In Cairo For Talks On A Tripartite Federation]'' (with [http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/RTV/1972/03/27/BGY508150465/?s=#shotListTechnicalInformationAnchor VIDEO clip])</ref>

At the end of March 1972, [[Vice President of Iraq|Iraqi vice president]] [[Saddam Hussein]] led a high-ranking delegation to [[Damascus]] and [[Cairo]] in order to promote the proposal. In Syria, Saddam Hussein met [[President of Syria|president]] [[Hafez al-Assad]] and [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (Syria)|foreign minister]] [[Abdul Halim Khaddam]], but Egypt's [[President of Egypt|president]] [[Anwar Sadat]] had already consulted Gaddafi in Libya. On 26 March, Saddam Hussein met [[Vice-President of Egypt|Egyptian vice president]] [[Mahmoud Fawzi]] in Cairo and on 28th he finally met Sadat in [[Alexandria]]. Referring to the already established Egyptian-Libyan-Syrian [[Federation of Arab Republics]] the proposal was rejected.<ref name="Shibli"/><ref name="ITN"/><ref>Record of the Arab World: ''Yearbook of Arab and Israeli Politics'', vol. 1, p. 222. Research and Publishing House, 1972</ref>

However, Syria and Egypt invited Iraq to join the federation instead. According to Khaddam, the first step to unite an Iraqi-Syrian summit should settle the quarrels between the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region|Syrian]] and the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Iraqi]] Ba'ath parties. In October 1972, [[President of Iraq|Iraqi president]] [[Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr]] agreed to Syria's conditions<ref name="Shibli"/> and proposed to create an Iraqi-Syrian union within the federation<ref name="PAN">[[Polish Academy of Sciences|Polska Akademia Nauk]] - Komitet Badań Krajów Azji, Afryki i Ameryki Łacińskiej: ''Studies on the Developing Countries'', No. 1-4 (9-12), p. 180f. Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich, Breslau 1989</ref> while Egypt and Libya had already announced to merge bilaterally in a closer union (also called ''United Arab Republic'') within the federation. Although further discussions were not held, in January 1973, Iraq assured Egypt and Syria its full military and economical support in case of a [[Yom Kippur War|new war against Israel]]. Iraq's offer to create a Joint Military Command was rejected however.<ref name="Shibli"/>

==See also== *[[Arab Union]]

==Sources== <references/> {{Arab nationalism}} {{Ba'ath Party}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Union Of Arab Republics}} [[Category:1970s in Egypt]] [[Category:1970s in Syria]] [[Category:1972 in Syria]] [[Category:Arab League]] [[Category:Arab nationalism in Egypt]] [[Category:Arab nationalism in Iraq]] [[Category:Arab nationalism in Syria]] [[Category:Federation of Arab Republics]] [[Category:Former Arab republics]] [[Category:Former confederations]] [[Category:Pan-Arabism]] [[Category:Proposed political unions]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1972]]