General Intelligence Directorate (Syria)

General Intelligence Directorate

إِدَارَةُ الْمُخَابَرَاتِ الْعَامَّةِ ʾIdārat al-Mukhābarāt al-ʿAmmāh
Agency overview
Formed	1945 (current form in 1971)
Preceding agency	Internal Security Forces Command (ISFC)
Jurisdiction	Government of Syria
Headquarters	Kafr Sousa, Damascus, Syria 33°31′13″N 36°18′42″E / 33.52028°N 36.31167°E / 33.52028; 36.31167
Agency executives	Hossam Louka (2019–present), Director[1] Akram Ali Muhammad (2019–2021), Deputy Director
Parent agency	Ministry 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]

As a consequence of the French Mandate of Syria that created the modern First Syrian Republic and its structures, the country's civil intelligence services owe much to the French template which shaped their early development since 1945.^[5] Civilian intelligence service called Department of General Security (Sûreté Générale) was established, and became one of the two security agencies of Syria, the other being Deuxième Bureau.^[5] After 1949 Syrian coup d'état, the Sûreté Générale became no more than an executive arm of the Deuxième Bureau.^[5] With the tenure of Abd al-Hamid Sarraj as director of the Deuxième Bureau, which lasted from 1955 to 1958, exemplified these trends. His officers became increasingly active in both Lebanon and northern Israel.^[6]

In February 1958, the Syrian government merged with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic (UAR).^[6] The union lasted until September 1961. During that union, Syrian intelligence services came under the overall authority of the Egyptian Directorate of General Intelligence with Salah Nasr as director.^[7] After its secession from the UAR in 1961, the new Syrian government under President Nazim al-Qudsi reformed security sector. The Deuxième Bureau and a reformed civilian intelligence, renamed as the Internal Security Forces Command (ISFC), started their activities in Lebanon. On 15 December 1961, Col. Muhammad Hisham al-Samman was appointed as Commander of Internal Security Forces, assisted by a Committee under his presidency.^[8] Along with the Kuzbari government, he pledged to establish political liberties and to disestablish emergency laws, which never came into existence. With the 1963 Syrian coup d'état, the security services adapted to the new political system of the Ba'ath Party.

The renewed service was used in April 1964 to crackdown uprisings in Hama led by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and backed by Egypt.^[9] On 24 March 1965, Decree No. 67 put the ISFC into a military framework with link to the Interior Ministry, thus ending the civilian control.^[10] After the February 1966 coup within the Ba'th Party, Salah Jadid emerged as the leader of Syria's most radical regime to date.^[11] Jadid centralized control of all intelligence and security services under Col. Abd al-Karim al-Jundi, the head of the National Security Bureau of the Ba'ath Party.^[12] From 1966 to 1969, Jundi further expanded the role and power of the Syrian agencies, both at home and abroad. It was during this period that their reputation for brutal ruthlessness was firmly established. The use of Palestinian guerrillas against Israel was core of its foreign intelligence.^[5]

In November 1970, Hafez al-Assad ousted Jadid in what he labelled a Corrective Movement. The new system has proved to be Syria's most stable and durable since independence and has toned down the previous radicalism. Under Assad there has been a remarkable continuity among the senior personnel in the intelligence community.^[5] The General Security Directorate was established in 1971. The service was in competition with Political Security Directorate in the late 20th century.^[13] Maj. Gen. Ghazi Kanaan possibly headed international security of the General Security Directorate in the late 20th century.^[14] In the late 20th century, between 1998 and 2001, Maj. Gen Ali Houri was director of General Security Directorate.^[14]

After Bashar al-Assad's takeover in 2000, Maj. Gen. Ali Hammoud was named as head of GID. In 2001, Hisham Ikhtiyar became the head of the General Security Directorate, replacing Ali Hammoud, who became the Minister of Interior.^[15] General Ikhtiyar was close to Bashar al-Assad's deceased brother-in-law Assef Shawkat.^[13] President Bashar Assad in June 2005 appointed General Ali Mamlouk as commander of the General Security Directorate.^[16]

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.^[17]

The General Intelligence Directorate is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior.^[18] The GID is also controlled by the President Bashar al-Assad through the National Security Bureau of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Central Command.^[19] It is divided into six branches:

• Internal Security Division (Branch 251)
• External Security Division (Branch 285)
• Palestinian Affairs Division^[3]
• Raids and Assault Division (Branch 295)
• Information Branch
• Investigations Branch

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, espionage and national security protection.^[14] And the Palestinian Affairs Division is responsible for monitoring the activities of Palestinian groups in Syria and Lebanon.^[14]

• Salah Nasr (1958–1961)
• Muhammad Hisham al-Samman (1961–1963)
• Abd al-Karim al-Jundi (1966–1969)
• Adnan Babagh (1971–?)^[5]
• Ali Madani (1970s)^[5]
• Nazih Zirayr (?–1983)^[20]
• Fu'ad Absi (1983–1987)^[20]
• Majid Sa'id (1987–1994)^[20][21]

• Internal branch: Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek (?–1999)^[21][22]

• Bashir an-Najjar (1994–1998)^[21]
• Ali Houri (1998–2001)^[14][15]

• Deputy Director: Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek (1999–June 2005)^[2][14]
• Internal branch (251): Bahjat Suleiman (1999–June 2005)^[23]
• External branch: Ayyad Mahmud (1999–?)^[24]

• Ali Hammoud (October–December 2001)^[15]
• Hisham Ikhtiyar (December 2001–June 2005)^[25]
• Ali Mamlouk (June 2005 – 2010), the European Union sanctioned him for "violence against demonstrators during the Syrian uprising".^[25][26][27]

• Deputy Director: Hassan Khallouf (?–June 2004)^[16][23]
• Deputy Director: Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (June 2004–2009)
• Internal branch (251): Fouad Nasif Kheirbek (June 2005–2011)^[16][23]
• Investigations branch: Anwar Raslan (2008–?)^[28]
• Deputy Director: Jamil Hassan (2004–1 July 2009)^[26][29]
• Information branch: Zouheir Hamad (?–July 2010)^[29]

• Zouheir Hamad (July 2010–July 2012), the European Union sanctioned him for "the use of violence across Syria and for intimidation and torture of protesters during the Syrian Civil War".^[26][27]

• 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][27]
• 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".^[26][27][29]

• Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (25 July 2012 – 7 July 2019)^[2][30]

• Deputy Director: Zouheir Hamad (25 July 2012 – 7 July 2019)^[2]
• Internal branch (251): Tawfiq Younes (2011-2016),^[31] the European Union sanctioned him for "being involved in violence against demonstrators during the Syrian uprisings".^[27]

• Hossam Louka (7 July 2019 – present)^[1]

• Deputy Director: Akram Ali Muhammad (7 July 2019 – 2021)
• Internal branch (251): Ahmed Al-Dib (2016 – present)^[32]

• Damascus branch: Col. Hafez Makhlouf (2011-2014), the European Union sanctioned him for "being involved in violence against demonstrators during the Syrian uprisings".^[27]

• Damascus (branch 285): Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Ma'ala (2011-2012) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity" by Human Rights Watch.^[33]
• Damascus (branch 285): Brig. Gen. Hussam Fendi (past-2011) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity".^[33]

• Homs (branch 318): Brig. Gen. Firas Al-Hamed (2012) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity".^[33]
• Latakia branch: Brig. Gen. Khudr Khudr (2012) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity".^[33]
• Daraa branch: Brig. Gen. Ahmed Dibe (2011).^[34]
• Raqqa branch: Brig. Gen. Khaled Al-Halabi (2008-2013) accused of being involved with the arrest and torture of dissidents, as well as telling security forces to fire on any unauthorized gathering of more than four people.^[35]

• Political Security Directorate
• Military Intelligence Directorate
• Air Force Intelligence Directorate