not want to be seen supporting either side in the conflictdecided to expand the Regional Command membership. Razzaz wanted the Military Committee to co-opt some old guard members into the Regional Command; Aflaq and Bitar asked for nine of the sixteen members to be members "with a pan-Arab outlook"including Bitar. The Military Committee responded to Aflaq's and Bitar's request by appointing no old guard-affiliated members to the Regional Command; Hafiz was re-elected Regional Secretary and Jadid was elected Assistant Regional Secretary. By this time, Bitar had begun discussions with Umran, which concluded with the understanding that Umran and Hafiz would act as the party's defenders against the Military Committee and their allies. Bitar informed the National Command about these discussions. To the National Command's dismay, the Regional Command in October and November had strengthened Jadid's position within the armed forces by appointing several Alawites and Druze to senior positions and appointed new provincial governors in Damascus, Hama, Aleppo and other cities. As the power of Jadid and the Military Committee grew, Aflaq, Bitar, Hafiz, Shibli al-Aysami and Ali Ghannam began to support the Regional Command's dissolution on the orders of the National Command. These discussions lasted from 8 December to 20 December 1965; Razzaz, Atrash, Jibran Majdalani and Ali Khalil argued that considering the political situation, the dissolution of the Regional Command would not favour the National Command in any way. Before the factions reached an agreement, forces loyal to Jadid seized control of the army brigade in Homs on 20 December. In the face of such abuse of power, on 22 December the National Command dissolved the Regional Command and appointed a Supreme Command, which included all the National Command members, five other old-guard membersincluding Bitarand five places were left for the regionalists, who did not take up the offer. In response to the National Command's orders, Zu'ayyin's government and all the regionalist members of the Presidential Council resigned. Exile and death Members of the party's other fractions fled; Bitar and other members of the party's historic leadership were captured and detained in a government guest house. When the new government launched a purge in August that year, Bitar escaped and fled to Beirut. In 1978, Bitar was pardoned by President Hafiz al-Assad, who came to power in 1970. Bitar returned briefly to Damascus; he was not reconciled with Assad and shortly, after a meeting with Assad ended without