Union of Arab Republics (1972)

The Iraqi counter-proposal urged the inclusion of the Palestine Liberation Organization[1] (to fight united for the liberation of Palestine) in a Union of Arab Republics instead and invited all other "progressive" Arab states to join.

[2][4] At the end of March 1972, Iraqi vice president Saddam Hussein led a high-ranking delegation to Damascus and Cairo in order to promote the proposal.

According to Khaddam, the first step to unite an Iraqi-Syrian summit should settle the quarrels between the Syrian and the Iraqi Ba'ath parties.

In October 1972, Iraqi president Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr agreed to Syria's conditions[2] and proposed to create an Iraqi-Syrian union within the federation[6] while Egypt and Libya had already announced to merge bilaterally in a closer union (also called United Arab Republic) within the federation.

Although further discussions were not held, in January 1973, Iraq assured Egypt and Syria its full military and economical support in case of a new war against Israel.