Middle East: Union Now

The Arab world last week reeled in a delirium of joy. Damascus Radio repeatedly shrieked, "Ahlan Bil Wahda!" (Welcome to union). When Syrian soldiers sent bursts of tracer bullets streaking against the night sky, the radio announcer hastily told his excited listeners that it was not revolution but jubilation. THE DREAM HAS COME TRUE! headlined a Beirut paper. Aleppo nearly exploded: its main streets became a sea of screaming humanity, and cars inched along honking their horns to the rhythm, "Nas-ser!"

Algeria's Premier Ahmed ben Bella cabled that this was "the most wonderful day of my life!" and Yemen's strongman. Abdullah...

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