SYRIA TO UNITY BY DISUNION IN CAIRO LAST WEEK, EGYPT'S NO . 
2 MAN, FIELD MARSHAL ABDEL HAKIM AMER, STORMED AT A SYRIAN 
DELEGATION : " IS NASSERISM A CRIME IN SYRIA NOW ? 
IF IT IS, HOW CAN WE FACE THE FUTURE TOGETHER ? 
IF THERE ARE IN DAMASCUS PEOPLE WHO CONSIDER NASSERISM A CRIME, 
THEN HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO COOPERATE WITH THEM ? 
" WHAT SET OFF AMER'S FLOOD OF RHETORICAL QUESTIONS WAS THE 
THREAT POSED TO NASSER'S DREAM OF ARAB UNITY BY THE GYRATIONS 
OF SYRIA'S BAATH PARTY LEADERS, HEADED BY TALL, LUGUBRIOUS PREMIER SALAH 
BITAR . THE BAATH LEADERSHIP WANTS ARAB UNITY AS MUCH AS 
DOES NASSER, BUT IT HAS REFUSED TO LET THE PARTY BE 
DROWNED IN AN ALLENCOMPASSING NASSERITE NATIONAL FRONT . THE CONFLICT BECAME 
ACUTE LAST MONTH WHEN THE REGIME BEGAN PURGING THE SYRIAN ARMY 
OF PRO-NASSER OFFICERS AND NONCOMS . IN RETALIATION, SIX NASSERITE CABINET 
MINISTERS RESIGNED . WHILE STUDENTS STAGED SITINS IN THE SCHOOLS, PRO-NASSER 
MOBS POURED INTO THE STREETS OF DAMASCUS AND ALEPPO, WHERE SCORES 
OF DEMONSTRATORS WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED BATTLING SOLDIERS AND POLICE . 
AS THE VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS GREW WORSE, THE BAATH LEADERS 
FACED THE PROSPECT OF DESTROYING ARAB UNITY AND LOWERING THE PRESTIGE 
OF THEIR PARTY . LAST WEEK HARASSED, MOURNFUL PREMIER BITAR FINALLY 
GAVE IN AND RESIGNED TO BE REPLACED BY A COMPROMISE CANDIDATE, 
DR . SAMI JUNDI, 40, A DENTIST FROM HAMA WHO WAS 
PREVIOUSLY MINISTER OF GUIDANCE AND CULTURE . THERE WAS SOME POSSIBILITY 
THAT THE NEW PREMIER MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH SIDES : 
TO THE BAATHISTS BECAUSE JUNDI WAS ONCE A PARTY MEMBER AND 
HAD STOOD BY THE GOVERNMENT ; TO THE NASSERITES BECAUSE HE 
HAS BEEN A LONGTIME ADMIRER OF EGYPT'S STRONGMAN AND BELIEVES IN 
UNITY AT ALL COSTS . AT WEEK'S END, THE REGIME IN 
NEIGHBORING IRAQ WAS ALSO GIVING GROUND TO THE NASSERITES . THE 
ENTIRE BAATH-DOMINATED CABINET RESIGNED, BUT LEAN, BALDING PREMIER HASSAN BAKR WAS 
COMMISSIONED TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT, PRESUMABLY ONE WITH GREATER PRO-NASSER 
REPRESENTATION, WHICH MIGHT FORESTALL STREET DEMONSTRATIONS AND DISAFFECTION IN THE ARMY 
. 