General Intelligence Directorate
إِدَارَةُ الْمُخَابَرَاتِ الْعَامَّةِ
ʾIdārat al-Mukhābarāt al-ʿAmmāh
Agency overview
Formed1971; 53 years ago (1971)
JurisdictionGovernment of Syria
HeadquartersDamascus, Syria
33°31′13″N 36°18′42″E / 33.52028°N 36.31167°E / 33.52028; 36.31167
Agency executive
  • Hossam Louka (2019–present)[1], Director
Parent agencyMinistry of Interior

The General Intelligence Directorate (Arabic: إِدَارَةُ الْمُخَابَرَاتِ الْعَامَّةِ, romanized: ʾIdārat al-Mukhābarāt al-ʿAmmāh), also known as the General Security Directorate or Syrian GID, is the most important civil intelligence service of Syria and plays an important role in quelling internal dissent.[2][3] The General Intelligence Directorate conducts surveillance of the Syrian population, directs foreign intelligence, and monitors activities in Lebanon.[4]

History

Hisham Bekhityar became the head of the General Security Directorate in 2001, replacing Ali Hammoud, who became the Minister of Interior.[5] General Bakhtiar was close to Bashar al-Assad's deceased brother-in-law Assef Shawkat.[6] In the late 20th century Maj. Gen Ali Houri was director of General Security Directorate.[7] The service was in competition with Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi in the late 20th century.[6] Gen. Ghazi Kanaan possibly headed international security of the General Security Directorate in the late 20th century.[7]

President Bashar Assad in June 2005 appointed General Ali Mamlouk as commander of the General Security Directorate.[8]

Six years later in April 2011, the US government imposed sanctions on Ali Mamlouk, saying he had been responsible for human rights abuses, including the use of violence against civilians. Agency had repressed internal dissent, monitored individual citizens, and had been involved in the Syrian government's actions in Daraa, where protesters were killed by Syrian security services. The next month, the EU also imposed sanctions on Ali Mamlouk, saying he had been involved in efforts to suppress 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 is a part of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle.[2]

After the 18 July 2012 bombing of the Central Crisis Management Cell (Syria) and the death of its four key members of team, Mohammed Dib Zaitoun was named as head of the General Security Directorate.[9]

Organization

The General Intelligence Directorate is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior.[10] It is divided into three branches:

Responsibility

The Internal Security Division is responsible for the surveillance of the population, counterintelligence, counter-terrorism, security of Damascus as well as protection of the Government of Syria. The External Security Division is tasked with foreign intelligence work and national security protection. And the Palestinian Affairs Division is responsible for monitoring the activities of Palestinian groups in Syria and Lebanon.[7]

Directors

  • Deputy Director: General Nazih (July 2010–July 2012), the European Union sanctioned him for "being responsible for the use of violence across Syria and intimidation and torture of protestors during the Syrian uprising".[2][19]
  • Information branch: Ghassan Khalil (July 2010–?), the European Union sanctioned him for "being involved in repression and violence against the civilian population in Syria during the Syrian uprising".[18][19][21]
  • Deputy Director: Zouheir Hamad (25 July 2012 – 7 July 2019)[2]
  • Internal branch (251): Tawfiq Younes (2011-2016),[23] the European Union sanctioned him for "being involved in violence against demonstrators during the Syrian uprisings".[19]
  • Internal branch (251): Ahmed Al-Dib (2016 – present)[24]

Regional Directors

Other Syrian intelligence agencies

References

  1. ^ a b "Treasury Continues Targeting Facilitators of Assad Regime". 25 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 18 May 2011.
  3. ^ a b "[DESINFOS.COM] - le rapport Mehlis: La Syrie et de hauts responsables libanais officiellement impliqués dans l'assassinat de Rafic Hariri". Archived from the original on 2006-01-13. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  4. ^ Phillips, David L. (2021). Frontline Syria: from revolution to proxy war. London. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-7556-0260-5. OCLC 1178645181.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ a b c Gambil, Gary (Feb 2002). "The Military-Intelligence Shakeup in Syria". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 4 (2). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Syrie". Retrieved 2008-09-06.[dead link]
  7. ^ a b c d e MEIB (July 2000). "Syria's Intelligence Services: A Primer". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 2 (6). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Rabil, Robert G. (2006). Syria, the United States, and the war on terror in the Middle East. Westport (Conn.): Praeger security international. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-275-99015-2.
  9. ^ Paul Khalifeh (17 July 2019). "Syria war: Why did Assad restructure the military-security apparatus?". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  10. ^ John Pike. "Syria Intelligence and Security Agencies". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  11. ^ a b Rathmell, Andrew (Fall 1997). "Syria's Intelligence Services: Origins and Development". Journal of Conflict Studies. XVI (2). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  12. ^ a b c Seale, Patrick (1990). Asad of Syria: the struggle for the Middle East. University of California Press. p. 430. ISBN 0-520-06976-5. Fu'ad Absi syria.
  13. ^ a b c Zisser, Eyal (September 1995). "The Succession Struggle in Damascus". The Middle East Quarterly. 2 (3): 57–64. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  14. ^ Bar, Shmuel (2006). "Bashar's Syria: The Regime and its Strategic Worldview" (PDF). Comparative Strategy. 25 (5): 425. doi:10.1080/01495930601105412. S2CID 154739379. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  15. ^ a b c "SyriaComment.com". Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  16. ^ Leverett, Flynt (2005). Inheriting Syria Bashar's trial by fire ([Online-Ausg.] ed.). Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. p. 93. ISBN 0-8157-5204-0.
  17. ^ a b Bar, Shmuel (2006). "Bashar's Syria: The Regime and its Strategic Worldview" (PDF). Comparative Strategy. 25 (5): 424. doi:10.1080/01495930601105412. S2CID 154739379. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  18. ^ a b c d "Syria's Assad 'reshuffles security chiefs'". UPI. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011". EuroLex. 52011PC0887. 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  20. ^ "À la recherche d'Anwar Raslan, tortionnaire syrien". Les Jours (in French). 2020-04-08. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  21. ^ a b c "Stratfor report on Syrian Security, Intelligence Leaders (Corrected)". Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  22. ^ Archived copy Archived 23 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "Tawfiq Younes". Pro Justice. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  24. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Syrian Regime Prisons, Officials, and Syrian Armed Group". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  25. ^ a b c d "Torture Archipelago". Human Rights Watch. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  26. ^ By all means Human Right Watch. Retrieved 8 December 2022
  27. ^ "How a Syrian War Criminal and Double Agent Disappeared in Europe". The New Yorker. 11 September 2021.
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