[unclear: narchies] Crumble

[unclear: The] "pro-Western and reactionary con[unclear: ative] Jordanian monarch" in Syrian eyes [unclear: w] ceased to be anything of the sort. And [unclear: the] same reasons, the no less pro-Wes[unclear: n] and reactionary Saudi monarchy began [unclear: wobble]. Both of these monarchial regi[unclear: s]. with the examples of Western timidity, [unclear: cliation] and unadulterated weakness be[unclear: e] them in such cases as Angola, Ethiopia, [unclear: d] Afghanistan not to mention the debacle [unclear: tran], began to question the advantages of [unclear: stern] "protection" against an encroaching [unclear: iet] and radical right-wing Arab power. [unclear: is], and certainly not the "Palestine Ques[unclear: n]". led to their rejection of the Israel-EgAgreement and brought their leaders to the Baghdad Conference. The Saudis, however, went to this Conference in a far less definite manner than the Jordanians. They opposed the economic sanctions against Egypi and that country's complete isolation, although they went as far as breaking diplomatic relations.

All of this propaganda stagecraft, however, on the part of the Baghdad participants provided for the thinnest of smokescreens for the weaknesses the Egypt-Israel Agreement had exposed. This new military balance, disadvantageous to the Soviet-sponsored bloc, naturally produced its counter-measures. Most prominent of these was the "peace and agreement" in engendered between the traditional Ba'athist enemies of Syria and Iraq. Both had apparently decided to sink their separate and conflicting dynastic ambitions, at least temporarily to gang-up against Egypt and Israel.

To the Iraqis in particular, whose ambitions to dominate the "northern crescent" have been traditionally no less than those of the Syrians, here was a heaven sent opportunity. Under the banner of "unity" with Syria, and their common anti-Western, "anti-imperialist" and anti-Israel slogans, here was the opportunity to station a sizeable military force on Syrian, and perhaps Lebanese, territory, to use thier oil wealth to penetrate the Syrian economy, and at the same time to do their not less traditional enemy the Egyptians in the eye.