General Security Directorate (Syria)
Encyclopedia
The General Security Directorate is the most important civil intelligence service of Syria
.
It belongs to the jurisdiction of the ministry of the interior.
In 2001 Hisham Bakhtiar became the head of Idarat al-Amn al-Amm, replacing Ali Hammoud, who became minister of the interior.
General Bakhtiar is close to Bashar al-Assad
's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat.
In the late 20th century Maj. Gen Ali Houri was director of Idarat al-Amn al-Amm.
The service was in competition with Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi in the late 20th century.
Gen. Ghazi Kanaan
possibly headed international security of Idarat al-Amn al-Amm in the late 20th century.
In 2005, President Bashar al-Assad
appointed General Ali Mamluk as commander of the General Security Directorate
, a position which he still holds. In April 2011, the US government imposed sanctions on Gen Mamluk, saying he had been responsible for human rights abuses, including through the use of violence against civilians. His agency had repressed internal dissent, monitored individual citizens, and had been "involved in the Syrian regime's actions in Deraa, where protesters were killed by Syrian security services", it alleged. The next month, the EU also imposed sanctions on Gen Mamluk, saying he had been involved in efforts to crush anti-government protesters. A Sunni, he is said to be on good terms with all of Syria's intelligence agencies - the heads of Air Force Intelligence and the Political Security Directorate were once his assistants. He's a part of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle.
Ali Hadani (1970s)
Nazih Zirayr ( - 1983)
Fu'ad Absi (1983 - 1987)
Majid Sa'id (1987 - 1994)
Bashir an-Najjar (1994 - 1998)
Ali Houri (1998 - 2001)
Ali Hammoud (2001)
Hisham Ikhtiyar (2001 - 2005)
Ali Mamluk (2005 - 2010)
Zouheir Hamad (2010 - present)
Military Intelligence
Air Force Intelligence Directorate
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Organization
Its divisions are:- Division of Homeland Security
- Division of External Security
- Division of Palestinian Affairs
It belongs to the jurisdiction of the ministry of the interior.
In 2001 Hisham Bakhtiar became the head of Idarat al-Amn al-Amm, replacing Ali Hammoud, who became minister of the interior.
General Bakhtiar is close to Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat.
In the late 20th century Maj. Gen Ali Houri was director of Idarat al-Amn al-Amm.
The service was in competition with Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi in the late 20th century.
Gen. Ghazi Kanaan
Ghazi Kanaan
Ghazi Kanaan was Syria's Interior Minister from 2004 to 2005, and long-time head of Syria's security apparatus in Lebanon...
possibly headed international security of Idarat al-Amn al-Amm in the late 20th century.
In 2005, President Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
appointed General Ali Mamluk as commander of the General Security Directorate
General Security Directorate
The General Security Directorate was the intelligence agency of Iraq. It was announced by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at a press conference in July 2004 in a climate of widespread violence by terrorist groups and the Iraqi insurgency...
, a position which he still holds. In April 2011, the US government imposed sanctions on Gen Mamluk, saying he had been responsible for human rights abuses, including through the use of violence against civilians. His agency had repressed internal dissent, monitored individual citizens, and had been "involved in the Syrian regime's actions in Deraa, where protesters were killed by Syrian security services", it alleged. The next month, the EU also imposed sanctions on Gen Mamluk, saying he had been involved in efforts to crush anti-government protesters. A Sunni, he is said to be on good terms with all of Syria's intelligence agencies - the heads of Air Force Intelligence and the Political Security Directorate were once his assistants. He's a part of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle.
Heads of General Security Directorate
Adnan Babagh (1971 - )Ali Hadani (1970s)
Nazih Zirayr ( - 1983)
Fu'ad Absi (1983 - 1987)
Majid Sa'id (1987 - 1994)
Bashir an-Najjar (1994 - 1998)
Ali Houri (1998 - 2001)
Ali Hammoud (2001)
Hisham Ikhtiyar (2001 - 2005)
Ali Mamluk (2005 - 2010)
Zouheir Hamad (2010 - present)
Other Syrian intelligence agencies
Political Security DirectoratePolitical Security Directorate
Political Security Directorate is an intelligence service of Syria. It is active against the opposition. It runsdetention centres . It is divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Department. It monitors political dissent and registered parties are surveilled, too....
Military Intelligence
Air Force Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Directorate
The Air Force Intelligence is an intelligence service of Syria. Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya is possibly Syria's most powerful intelligence service, owing its importance to Hafez al-Assad's role as the Air Force commander....
External links
- Syria's Intelligence Services: A Primer, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, July 2000.
- Syria's Intelligence Services: Origins and Development, Andrew Rathmell, J. Conflict Studies, 1996.
- Human Rights in Syria, James A. Paul, Middle East Watch, 1990.
- http://www.cvni.net/radio/nsnl/nsnl061/nsnl61sy.html