National Alliance for the Liberation of Syria and USS SC-48

The coalition gathered Islamist and Arab nationalist factions, consisting of the Syrian wing of the Baghdad-based Arab Socialist Baath Party, the Muslim Brotherhood of Adnan Saad al-Din, the Islamic Front of Sheikh Abdul Fatah Abu Ghuda, the Communist Party - Political Bureau of Riad al-Turk, the Arab Socialists of Akram al-Hawrani and the Socialist Union of Jassem Alwan and Mohammed al-Jarah, as well independent personalities.

For the Iraqi government, the decision of the Syrian government to block Iraqi oil exports to the Mediterranean (in the context of Syria siding with Iran in the Iran-Iraq war) prompted it to support the launching of the National Alliance. The coalition was also reportedly obtaining support from Jordan. For the Islamists, on the other hand, joining forces with secular groups had become a necessity after the defeat in Hama in the same year. The charter of the National Alliance had only one passage referring to the Islamic heritage of Syria. This pragmatism caused dissent both within the Muslim Brotherhood ranks (their military wing commander Adnan Uqla saw it as treason) as well as from Islamist forces abroad. A group of ulema led by Thahir Khayr Allah broke away from the Muslim Brotherhood in protest against the National Alliance.

However, in spite of its political breadth, it was unable to mobilize any popular revolt against the incumbent regime in Damascus. Instead, the activities of the coalition was largely limited to defamation against the Damascus government. Pro-Iraqi Syrian Baathist leaders Shibli al-Aysami and Amin al-Hafiz, representing the National Alliance, gave press interviews in which they accused Hafiz al-Assad of being responsible for the loss of the Golan Heights in 1967, the atrocities in Hama and for pursuing a moderate line towards Israel and the United States. Notably the foundation of the National Alliance came after the Hama revolt, by the time the possibility for mobilizing opposition activities inside Syria was too late. By the mid-1980s the platform was defunct.

USS SC-48 and National Alliance for the Liberation of Syria

SC-48 was built at New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York in 1918. She was commissioned 27 March 1918.

On 28 June 1918 SC-48 left New London, Connecticut in a convoy with 17 other submarine chasers, destroyer tender Bridgeport, and several other vessels, bound for France via Bermuda and the Azores. At 06:40 on 5 August, as the convoy neared the Ushant Light, SC-48 spotted a torpedo wake headed for Bridgeport and sounded the alarm. Bridgeport’s evasive action avoided the torpedo, and, despite reports of a periscope sighting, no submarine was ever located or sunk.

SC-48 served with sister ships SC-45 and SC-47 in Unit 20 of Division 21, and was based in Plymouth and Queenstown during the war. After the Armistice, Unit 20 took part in operations to clear the North Sea Mine Barrage through the end of September 1919.

It is unclear if SC-48 remained in commission on 17 July 1920. If she were, she would have received, as part of the new U.S. Navy letter-number scheme, the hull designation of PC-48.

SC-48 was sold on 24 June 1921 to Joseph G. Hitner of Philadelphia. By 1925, the ship had been renamed Stumble Inn 1 and was owned by Clarence Fix and based in Buffalo, New York. Her fate beyond 1925 is unknown. Notes ^ a b c d e f g h Radigan, SC-48. ^ Cressman. ^ "SC 45: Unit 20 Collection". The Sub Chaser Archives. Subchaser.org. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  ^ "World War I Victory Medal service credits: Q–Z". 2005-05-31. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  ^ Radigan, Submarine chasers… ^ "Vessel Renamings: STUMBLE INN 1". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2008-02-29. 
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