Egypt and Syria, the two pro-Soviet Arab countries bordering on Israel, are expected to issue tomorrow a joint proclamation announcing the establishment of a federation of both lands under one government with Egyptian President Abdel Nasser as President of the union and Syrian President Shukri-el-Kuwatly as Vice President, it was reported here today from Cairo to the New York Times.
The report emphasized that the frontiers of Egypt and Syria are widely separated “with a hostile Israel and a certainly none too friendly Jordan lying between them.” While the report contains no indication of Israel’s reaction to the establishment of a Syrian-Egyptian federation, it says that Turkey viewed the proposed union with the “greatest concern.”
The report also says that there have been rumors among top political circles in Cairo that King Hussein of Jordan and his cousin, King Faisal of Iraq, already were pushing ahead with plans to merge their two adjoining countries into one kingdom. This would automatically bring Jordan, where King Hussein has had to crack down hard on pro-Nasser and extreme Leftist elements, into the Bagdad Pact, the report, pointed out.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
