Air Force Intelligence Directorate
إدارة المخابرات الجوية
Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya
Agency overview
Formed1963
JurisdictionGovernment of Syria
HeadquartersDamascus, Syria
Agency executives
Parent agencyMilitary of Syria

The Air Force Intelligence Directorate (Arabic: إدارة المخابرات الجوية, romanized: Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya) is an intelligence service of Syria, possibly the country's most powerful,[1] owing its importance to Hafez al-Assad's role as the Air Force commander.[1] Despite its name, it is mainly involved with issues other than air force intelligence,[2] and took an active part in the suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood rebellion in the 1980s.[3] Agents of this service have frequently been stationed in Syrian embassies or branch offices of the national airline.[4]

The service was headed for nearly thirty years by Maj. Gen. Muhammad al-Khuli, who was trusted by Hafez al-Assad and had an office adjacent to the president's in the presidential palace.[3] In 1995, it was headed by Ibrahim Huwayji.[5]

As of 2023, it is headed by Major General Ghassan Jaoudat Ismail.[6][7] Ghassan previously served as a security official in the eastern governorate of Deir ez-Zor. He is a part of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle,[8] though he has criticized "the decision of the leadership" to not immediately crush the 2011 Syrian uprising in its very beginning, making him a hardliner in the Syrian leadership.

The service also took part in the efforts to put down the 2011 Syrian uprising against Bashar al-Assad's government. It is known to have been active in the town of Talkalakh near the Lebanese border.[9]

Directors

Regional Directors

  • Damascus branch: Eyad Mandou (2012)[20]
  • Homs branch: Brig. Gen. Jawdat al-Ahmed (2012) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity".[18]
  • Daraa branch: Col. Qusay Mihoub (2012) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity".[18]
  • Latakia branch: Col. Suhail Al-Abdullah (2012) accused of "ordering or committing crimes against humanity".[18]

Paramilitary units

Other Syrian intelligence agencies

References

  1. 1 2 "Syria, Intelligence and Security". Espionageinfo.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  2. ↑ "Le rapport Mehlis : la Syrie et de hauts responsables libanais officiellement impliqués dans l'assassinat de Rafic Hariri" [The Mehlis report: Syria and senior Lebanese officials officially implicated in the assassination of Rafic Hariri]. Desinfos.com. 21 October 2005. Archived from the original on 13 January 2006.
  3. 1 2 "Syria's Intelligence Services: A Primer". Meib.org. July 2000. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008.
  4. ↑ "NSNL 61 – Intelligence profile : Syria". cvni.net. 3 June 2003. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  5. ↑ Zisser, Eyal (September 1995). "The Succession Struggle in Damascus – Middle East Quarterly". Middle East Quarterly. Meforum.org. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  6. 1 2 "Assad replaces high-ranking Intel chief". Al-Masdar News. 7 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019.
  7. 1 2 Al Hendi, Ahed (3 May 2011). "The Structure of Syria's Repression". ForeignAffairs.com.
  8. ↑ "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012.
  9. ↑ Ana Maria Luca; Nadine Elali (30 April 2011). "The Syrian uprising's refugees". NOW Lebanon. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011.
  10. 1 2 Rathmell, Andrew (Fall 1997). "Syria's Intelligence Services: Origins and Development". Journal of Conflict Studies. XVI (2). Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.
  11. ↑ Gambil, Gary (February 2002). "The Military-Intelligence Shakeup in Syria". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 4 (2).
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ "Ali Mamluk: Syria's new security chief". Al-Ahram. AFP. 24 July 2012.
  14. ↑ "Syria's Assad 'reshuffles security chiefs'". UPI. 21 October 2010.
  15. 1 2 "The Syrian President Reshuffles Security, Intelligence Leaders". 28 September 2010. Middle East Transparent. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 of 18 January 2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011". Eur-lex.europa.eu. 18 January 2012. Document 32012R0036. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Council Regulation concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011".
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Torture Archipelago". Human Rights Watch (Press release). 3 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 Neistat, Anna; (Organization), Human Rights Watch (December 2011). "By All Means Necessary" Individual and Command Responsibility for Crimes against Humanity in Syria (PDF). Human Rights Watch. ISBN 978-1-56432-842-7.
  20. ↑ Syria: Turkish embassy closed, senior intel officer assassinated. Al Bawaba (26 March 2012). Retrieved on 12 April 2012.
  21. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (14 December 2016). "Usud Al-Cherubim: A Pro-Assad Christian Militia". Syria Comment.
  22. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (24 December 2016). "The Fifth Legion: A New Auxiliary Force". Syria Comment.
  23. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (3 January 2016). "The Syrian National Resistance: Liwa Khaybar". Syria Comment.
  24. ↑ "The Leopards of Homs: A Pro-Assad Militia".
  25. ↑ "Kata'ib al-Jabalawi: A Pro-Assad Militia from Homs".
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