Mikhail IlyanMikhail Ilyan or "Elian", was a Syrian politician who served as foreign minister of Syria in the 1940s.BiographyHe was born in Aleppo in 1880 to a wealthy family. In 1928 he cofounded the National Bloc. He was elected as a member of the Syrian Parliament for many terms and in 1945 he served as minister of foreign affairs. In 1949 he was among the founders of Hizb al Watani. In 1956 he headed the Anglo-American sponsored coup in Syria.