Sabri al-Asali

Al-Asali and Quwatli returned to Syria in 1932 following a general amnesty. In 1933 al-Asali, along with a number of influential Arab thinkers, became a founding member and general-secretary of the League of National Action, with the aim of countering European colonial influence. Other founding members included the historian and professor Constantin Zureiq, the philosopher Zaki al-Arsuzi and the politician Muhsin al-Barazi. The League was very successful in Syria and Lebanon, and called for the abolition of the French and British mandates and the economic integration of Arab countries.[1]

In 1936 Quwatli invited al-Asali to join the National Bloc, an umbrella group that led the political struggle against the French occupation. Al-Asali ran for parliament as a member of the Bloc and won a seat in the 1936 elections, and again in 1943, 1947, 1954, and 1962. Al-Asali served as minister of interior in the cabinet of Faris al-Khoury, and later he became minister of justice and education. In the cabinet of Saadallah al-Jabiri that was formed in October 1945, al-Asali again held the portfolios of justice and education. Al-Asali was part of the Syrian delegation that attended the founding of the Arab League in Cairo in 1945.[1]

Syria regained its independence in April 1946, and al-Jabiri formed the first cabinet in post-occupation Syria, appointing al-Asali as minister of interior where he served until November 1946. When the National Bloc split to form two competing parties, the National Party and the People's Party, al-Asali joined Quwatli's National Party and led its opposition to the Hashemite influence in Syria.[1]

In 1948 al-Asali was again appointed the interior portfolio by Prime Minister Jamil Mardam Bey. His term was marred by domestic unrest resulting from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Al-Asali used a hardline approach and cracked down on the opposition. Many leading socialists were arrested on his orders, including Michel Aflaq of the Baath Party, whose arrest prompted dissent inside the cabinet and the resignation of Lutfi al-Haffar, Mardam Bey's deputy. As the turmoil spread further, al-Asali deployed the army in the streets. He became very unpopular and only narrowly survived several attempts on his life in 1948. In 1949 Chief of Staff Husni al-Za'im led a military coup that overthrew the Quwatli government. Al-Asali, along with most of Quwatli's associates, was arrested. He remained under house arrest until al-Za'im's government was overthrown by another military coup. Under the military government of Adib Shishakli, al-Asali allied himself with former president Hashim al-Atassi and conspired to bring down the Shishakli government, and restore a civilian administration to Syria.[1]

The Shishakli government was overthrown by a military coup in 1954. Al-Atassi was elected president and he asked al-Asali to form a cabinet. His tenure saw the assassination of Colonel Adnan al-Malki, the deputy-chief of staff, by a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP). The "Malki affair" caused outrage in the military. Al-Asali appointed Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj to lead an official tribunal which identified the SSNP with backing of the United States as the main culprits. The SSNP was outlawed and its entire leadership was arrested. During his first term as prime minister, al-Asali allied himself with the strong military, which secured him a second term in 1956.[1]

Al-Asali stands next to Syrian president al-Quwatli (seated left) who, alongside Egyptian president Nasser (seated right), is signing the agreement uniting Egypt and Syria to form the United Arab Republic, 1958

Al-Asali spearheaded the Nasserist movement in Syria following the 1956 Suez Crisis, and Nasserist officials and army officers were promoted during his tenure. He was credited with convincing Quwatli, another pro-Nasser leader, to run for president again in 1955. Quwatli appointed al-Asali as his first prime minister after taking office. In January 1958 he appointed socialist leader Salah al-Din al-Bitar as foreign minister and tasked him with negotiating a full union between Egypt and Syria. President al-Quwatli and al-Asali travelled to Cairo to finalize the agreement and announced the United Arab Republic, under the leadership of Gamal Abd al-Nasser, on 1 February 1958. Al-Asali was appointed vice-president by Nasser the following day.[1]

In 1959 released documents from 1951 appeared to link him with the Iraqi government. His opponents accused him of receiving illicit funds and forced him to resign. In 1960 Al-Asali joined the Syrian opposition to the Nasser government and accused Nasser of establishing dictatorial rule in Syria. He supported the 1961 coup d'état that ended the union and signed the secession declaration.[1]