Amin al-Hafiz

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Amin al-Hafiz أمين الحافظ
President of Syria (Military rule)
In office July 27, 1963 – February 23, 1966
Preceded by	Luai al-Atassi
Succeeded by	Nureddin al-Atassi
Prime Minister of Syria
In office November 12, 1963 – May 13, 1964
Preceded by	Salah al-Din Bitar
Succeeded by	Salah al-Din Bitar
In office October 4, 1964 – September 23, 1965
Preceded by	Salah al-Din Bitar
Succeeded by	Yusuf Zuaiyin
Born	1911 Damascus, Syria
Political party	Baath Party

Gen. Amin al-Hafiz (or Hafez; born 1911) (Arabic: أمين الحافظ) was a Syrian politician, military officer and a member of the Ba'th Party.

[edit] Career

[edit] Rise to power

Hafiz led a coup d'etat against the government of Syria in 1963, in the turbulent years after the break-up of the United Arab Republic (UAR), installing the National Council of the Revolutionary Command (NCRC) at the head of government. The NCRC was dominated by the Syrian branch of the radical, pan-Arab Ba'ath Party, and Hafiz became its President. As President, he instituted socialist reforms and oriented his country towards the Eastern Bloc.

[edit] Downfall

On February 23, 1966, he was overthrown by a radical Ba'athist faction headed by Chief of Staff Salah Jadid. The coup sprung out of factional rivalry between Jadid's "regionalist" (qutri) camp of the Ba'ath Party, which promoted ambitions for a Greater Syria and the more traditionally pan-Arab Hafiz faction, called the "nationalist" (qawmi) faction^[1]. Jadid's supporters were also seen as more radically left-wing. But the coup was also supported and led by officers from Syria's religious minorities, especially the Alawite Muslims and the Druze, whereas Hafiz belonged to the majority Sunni population. Alawis have ruled Syria ever since.

[edit] Exile and death

After the coup, Hafiz lived in exile until 2005, when he was quietly permitted to return to Syria^[2].

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.ndu.edu/library/n3/SSP-86-3F-02.pdf
2. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/17/AR2005051701426_pf.html

v • d • e Heads of state of Syria since 1922 al-Khalidi • Pierre-Alype* • Shariyari • al-Hasani • al-Abid • H. al-Atassi • al-Khatib • al-Azm* • al-Hasani • al-Ulshi* • al-Ayyubi • al-Quwatli • al-Za'im • H. al-Atassi • Selu† • Shishakli† • H. al-Atassi • al-Quwatli • Abdel Nasser • al-Kuzbari* • an-Nuss* • al-Kudsi • L. al-Atassi† • al-Hafiz† • N. al-Atassi • al-Khatib • H. al-Assad • Khaddam* • B. al-Assad *denotes acting     †military ruler

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Syria since 1920 Kingdom of Syria (1920) al-Rikabi • H. al-Atassi* • al-Durubi • al-Ulshi French Mandate of Syria (1920-1939) H. al-Azm • al-Hasani • A. al-Ayyubi • Mardam Bey • al-Haffar • al-Bukhari Syrian Arab Republic (1939-1958) K. al-Azm • al-Hakim • al-Barazi • al-Ulshi • al-Jabiri • al-Khoury • al-Jabiri • K. al-Azm* • Mardam Bey • K. al-Azm • al-Za'im • al-Barazi • H. al-Atassi • al-Kudsi • K. al-Azm • al-Kudsi • K. al-Azm • al-Hakim • al-Khatib • al-Dawalibi • Selu • Shishakli • al-Assali • al-Ghazzi • al-Khoury • al-Assali • al-Ghazzi • al-Assali United Arab Republic (Chairmen of the Executive Council of the Syria Region) (1958-1961) Kuhala • Serraj Syrian Arab Republic (Sessionist Period) (1961-1963) al-Kuzbari • al-Nuss • al-Dawalibi • al-Azma • K. al-Azm Syrian Arab Republic (Baath Party Period) (1961-1963) al-Bitar • al-Hafiz • al-Bitar • al-Hafiz • Zuaiyin • al-Bitar • Zuaiyin • N. al-Atassi • al-Assad • Kleifawi • M. al-Ayyubi • Kleifawi • al-Halabi • al-Kasm • Zuabi • Mero • al-Otari * acting

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