Not His Brother's Keeper

For months, signs of a power struggle within the government of Syrian President Hafez Assad swirled like so many dust devils around Damascus, the capital. Last week the intrigue blossomed anew. Defense Minister Mustafa Tlas, in an interview published in the West German magazine Der Spiegel, declared that Assad's younger brother Rifaat, one of Syria's three Vice Presidents, is "persona non grata forever." If Rifaat had not gone into exile in Geneva in June, Tlas added, "the army would have struck."

Whether Tlas is to be believed or not, Rifaat, 47, had made no secret of his ambition to succeed Hafez, 54, as President. That possibility seemed to loom larger last November, when the elder Assad suffered a serious heart attack. After Assad's recovery, Rifaat's elevation in February to the new, three-man vice presidency was seen as part of an attempt to hem in his power.

Rifaat's current status is still some thing of a mystery. Responding to Tlas' statement, one of Rifaat's aides declared that the Vice President was in Geneva for health reasons, and would return to Damascus "very soon." Despite the confusing signals, one fact seemed clear: Hafez Assad shows no signs of needing, let alone wanting, a successor.