President Shukri al-Quwatli with a group of dignitaries at the Presidential Palace in Syria, shortly after independence in 1946. Standing third from left is Dr Najib al-Armanazi, the bureau chief for the Syrian President, President Quwatli, the industrialist Sadiq Ghrawi, and Interior Minister Sabri al-Asali. In the 1950s, Armanazi was to become Syria’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Asali was to become Prime Minister.