Arab world marks '73 War anniversary

Syrian gov't newspaper: Arabs should unite, just as they did 35 years ago, to achieve their goals.

assad martyrs wreath 224 88 ap (photo credit: AP)
assad martyrs wreath 224 88 ap
(photo credit: AP)
Thirty-five years after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, the Arab world marked the event with visits to memorials, pledges to release classified documents about the fighting and a general call for Arab unity. In Syria, the government-aligned newspaper Tishrin, called Monday for Arabs to unite in order to achieve their goals, "just as they did 35 years ago." The editors of the paper also commented on the current indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria. "Even the prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, said that there would not be peace with Damascus unless all of the land was returned," the article stated, according to Army Radio. Syrian President Bashar Assad marked the anniversary of the war with visits to memorials, where he placed flowers on the graves of Syrian soldiers who were killed in the fighting. About 4,000 Syrians lost their lives during the 18 days of battle. In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak addressed the nation in a Sunday night speech preceding commemorative events held Monday. During an interview with an army media outlet, he called on Egyptians to use the "spirit of October" in order to bring more economic prosperity to the country. According to Army Radio, another Egyptian media source used the opportunity to urge the Egyptian government to release classified documents about the war. Declassifying the documents, the news agency said, would help maintain the "heritage of the great Arab victory." The Arab world has traditionally framed the Yom Kippur War as a victory.