For the first time in history, a Communist was elected to sit in an Arab parliament. In Syria's national election, normally conservative Damascus gave only one other winner more votes than Khaled Bakdash, the Middle East's No. 1 Red. Vigorous, persuasive Bakdash, who made a pilgrimage to Moscow only last year, made Middle East history with a direct and relentless campaign built largely on anti-Americanism. Along with Bakdash, the same sort of sentiments won seats for twelve Socialists.
The bulk of the 142 Deputies elected were standard Arab politicians-old-line, conservative and opportunist, many of them also hostile to...
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