 After Umran 's downfall , the National Command and the Military Committee continued their respective struggle for control of the Ba 'ath Party . While the National Command invoked party rules and regulations against the Military Committee , it was clear from the beginning that the initiative lay with the Military Committee . The reason for the Military Committee 's success was its alliance with the Regionalists , a group of branches which had not adhered to Aflaq 's 1958 orders to dissolve the Syrian Regional Branch . The Regionalists disliked Aflaq and opposed his leadership . Assad called the Regionalists the " true cells of the party " . 
