From ''Infitah of Abundance'' to ''Infitah of Poverty'' Essay

From ''Infitah of Abundance'' to ''Infitah of Poverty'' - Essay Example nationalist, Naseer’s dictatorial treatment with Syrian economic activity brought about the rebellion from army in 1959 and UAR (United Arab Republic) dissolved. UAR was a weak unification of Syria and Egypt as a result of western pressures for adopting neutral stance about Baghdad pact.1 Baathists were more aggressive in their control and army personnel gained more ground in party. Economic power was in the hands of ruling elite and shifting to military. Basthist party and Syria united apparently in 1958 but Hafiz al-Asad was also a part of this union. According to George; This unionist marriage was unhappy and in September 1961 it ended with the rightist putsch in Damascus. After 18 months of turmoil in the country†¦In 1966 the radicals staged an intra party coup. Syria’s resounding defeat by Israel in the June 1967 was, in which the Golan Heights were occupied, weakened the militant†¦The climax was another putsch stages by Asad, then defense minister, on 16 November 1970.2 Hafiz al-Asad exploited the 1967 defeat by Israel in order to unite Ba’ath part and military wing under Alawi clan, i.e, rural shi’a minority, but after Asad, it has been at the top of Syrian society. Ba’athist coup was encouraged initially but it showed little results; few banks and industry was nationalized, land reform extension and state established a monopoly in 1963.However, these steps were biased and to target elite to curb the anti-regime activities in 1964,and in case of land reforms, to bless Baathist coup origin, i.e., peasantry. For development, an intensive program was developed in which state investment was established to be the key driving force of economic activity in all sectors. Agriculture was focused in order to raise the living standards in rural Syria, and encouraged to run by state irrigation schemes and import substitution was boosted. Roads, railways construction were planned in collaboration with the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc with the help of