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Western businessmen began to hail him as a new Atatürk: a strong man who would bring progress to his people as Atatürk had in Turkey. Some of his decrees were good; others were capricious or too ambitious. Then, when the decrees took a new direction, barring foreigners from heading or owning control of any Syrian company, Westerners began to wonder whether he was a Peron instead of an Atatürk. At least he is no Mossadegh : he can sometimes be reasoned with, and he knows better than to let his country gallop towards chaos and Communism.
Quashed. At week's end in Cairo, Iraq stood alone in condemnation of Dictator Shishekly, and the Arab League quashed the charges against him. In return, Shishekly promised to release all political prisoners except those facing "specific charges."
Then he went home and passed another decree (No. 197), dissolving all political parties and organizations in Syria.