Bourguiba vs. Nasser

...Iraq and Sudan-which has several complaints against Egypt, such as objections to the proposed Soviet-financed Aswan dam-seem only too happy that someone has had the courage to speak up...

...NASSER By Lorna Hahn The recent break in diplomatic relations between Cairo and Tunis climaxed a long-standing feud between Egyptian dictator Gamal Abdel Nasser and Tunisian Premier Habib Bourguiba...

...Premier Balafrej of Morocco, under severe pressures from left-wing elements, informed Bourguiba that he would have to join, but wanted Tunisia at least to join with him...

...In February 1958, a plot to kill Bourguiba and his chief collaborators was uncovered in Tunis...

...The same day, Chatty held a press conference in Cairo, during which he was continually baited by the Egyptian journalists...

...Chatty was chagrined that the pro-Egyptian Moroccan delegate, Abdelkhalek Torres, did not suport his actions but other delegations, by maintaining a meaningful silence, indicated more than a passing interest in this David-Goliath duel...

...There have thus far been no statements from other Arab states, but there have been some interesting reactions...

...The Egyptians replied that they were merely giving ben Youssef political asylum...

...The Tunisians answered that the right of political asylum did not include the right to harbor persons plotting the overthrow of a friendly regime...

...He went on to explain that Tunisia would like to have friendly relations with Egypt, but that the latter had made this impossible by its endless intrigues and the refusal to oust ben Youssef...

...He has told them that Tunisia is anxious to resume normal relations with Cairo, and to fill her empty chair at League headquarters, but cannot do so unless Egypt meets her sina qua non for friendship: the expulsion of ben Youssef...

...But as the professed champions of Arab unity, they could hardly make their displeasure official...

...The move failed and ben Youssef had to flee to Cairo, where he had previously spent many years in exile...

...The FLN, eager for unified Arab support, was also anxious for Tunisia to join...

...Not wishing to break with Egypt, the Tunisian Government sent a carefully prepared memorandum to Cairo in April 1958...

...More important, it marked the first time that the Tunisian leader has openly displayed his distaste for Nasser and challenged Cairo's bid for hegemony over the entire Arab world...

...He said his country wished to increase friendly ties between Arabs, but condemned "certain big powers" for attempting to dominate others...

...There was no proof of direct Egyptian collaboration but the presence of an Egyptian passport indicated at least an indirect approval...

...On October 15, Bourguiba announced that he was severing relations with Cairo, The following day, in a speech to the Tunisian Constituent Assembly, he elaborated upon his stand...

...While Bourguiba was speaking, Chatty hoarded a plane for New York, where he has since been "informing" other Arab delegations of Tunisia's position against Egypt...

...The Tunisians, however, are confident that despite the FLN's "we are all Arabs together" statements, it is definitely on their side...

...It joined in other words, not to fall in with Nasser's ambitions but to oppose them on his own battleground...

...Bourguiba, with his consistent emphasis of Tunisian nationalism, was always a maverick in pan-Arab eyes...

...But the Iraqi revolution backfired...

...Its leader was a disgruntled Tunisian bearing an Egyptian passport, and documents found on him and other conspirators showed that the plot had been organized by ben Youssef in Cairo...

...He deliberately avoided citing Egypt, or the United Arab Republic, but the Egyptians walked out in a rage...

...For at some point the Algerians would have to negotiate with France, and the Tunisian Premier was in a far better position to help them do this than the Egyptian dictator...

...Meanwhile, Nasser began to concentrate his energies on Lebanon and Iraq...

...Several Tunisians, such as Habib Chatty, who had been ambassador to three Arab capitals, were personally acquainted with many of the Iraqis and saw some chance for success here...

...It published the evidence captured from the conspirators and, without making any accusations against the Egyptian Government, demanded that it stop sheltering ben Youssef...

...Nasser saw this as an opportunity to unseat the one popular Arab leader who refused to take cues from him...

...This was not the only reason for Tunisia's joining the League...

...Why does your Government work against Algerian freedom...

...Egypt has plainly lost face...

...Refusing to discuss Chatty's accusations, they attempted to throw up a smokescreen by shouting: "How many thousands of Algerians have you Tunisians placed in concentration camps...

...His acceptance of internal autonomy from France in 1955 led to his being denounced as a traitor by the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN ). and by a faction of his own party led by Salah ben Youssef...

...Nasser also forgot that Bourguiba could be of tremendous value to the FLN...

...For example the UAR, afraid of losing its influence over the FLN completely, was responsible for the League's tripling its financial support of the Algerians this year...

...Many, in fact, openly boasted that the Algerians were the only Arab army in the 20th century to have any success against a European foe, and began to mock Egypt's shabby military efforts against Israel...

...Consequently, Bourguiba reversed his previous stand and formally became a member of the Arab League on October 1. Tunisia's announced purpose for joining was that it believed in supporting the principle upon which the League was founded: preservation of the independence of each Arab state...

...He further declared that Nasser "does not understand the dangers of Communism...

...But he misjudged the Algerians...

...Chatty then pointed out to the remaining members that the Egyptian departure obviously proved the veracity of his charges...

...There was nothing left for Nasser to do but employ his chief weapon of diplomacy-assassination...

...Also, of course, League headquarters would be an excellent spot to publicize grievances against Egypt for its aid to ben Youssef...

...The FLN, while admitting that Lorna Hahn, who teaches history at Temple University, has long specialized in North African problems...

...Many of the Iraqi leaders preferred a course independent of Nasser, but wanted a friend to help them...

...Openly defying Nasser's accusations, he said: "Yes, I am pro-Western...

...He sent arms to the Youssefites in Tunisia through the FLN in an attempt to stir up a civil war which would replace Bourguiba with ben Youssef...

...For the first time an Arab leader-unsupported by Western troops, as was Jordan's King Hussein-has told Nasser off and has not been roundly condemned for it by all other Arabs...

...They opened headquarters in Tunis and began to urge the French to accept Tunisian, or Tunisian-Moroccan, mediation...

...The Egyptians realized all this and were not very secretive about their opposition to having Tunisia in the League...

...In August, therefore, the Iraqis urged the Tunisians to join the Arab League and work with them to counter Nasser's influence...

...In addition, Cairo Radio's call for Bourguiba's removal left little doubt as to Nasser's hopes for the success of the plot...

...The Algerians at first appeared to be in an awkward position, but are actually faring quite well with their own little neutralist game...

...Throughout 1957, Algeria became more and more of a North African, rather than an "Arab," problem, and plans for a North African Confederation independent of Cairo grew apace...

...Then in March 1956, Tunisia gained full independence Still, Nasser was sure he could use the Algerians, who depend on him for supplies, to pressure their Tunisian brethren into overthrowing Bourguiba...

...Egyptian funds made their victories possible, realized that its own manpower and brains were beating the French...

...Once the Iron Curtain drops," he noted, "there is no escape from Communism" Repeating his charges that the Egyptians were planning to assassinate him, he then added the unkindest cut of all: "The primary enemy it is usually said is Israel However why is it that this state is quiet, while the Arabs are killing one another...

...Thus, when Bourguiba decided to become the spokesman for the Algerians following the capture of the five FLN negotiators in October 1956, the Algerians eagerly seized the opportunity to draw closer to the respected elder statesman of North Africa...

...On October 11, Chatty delivered his first speech, as Tunisia's Arab League delegate...

...It did not ask that he be extradited to Tunisia, where death sentence awaits him, but only that he be forced to leave Cairo...