Political Security Directorate

Political Security Directorate

إدارة الأمن السياسي Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi
Agency overview
Jurisdiction	Government of Syria
Headquarters	Damascus, Syria
Agency executive	Rustum Ghazali, Director

Political Security Directorate (Arabic: إدارة الأمن السياسي‎, Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi) is an intelligence service of Syria. It is active against the opposition.^[1] It runs detention centres.^[2] It is divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Department.^[3] It monitors political dissent and all media outlets,^[3] and registered parties are surveilled, too.^[4]

History and chiefs

From 1987 until the 1990s, it was headed by Adnan Badr Hassan, an Alawite from al-Mukharram near Homs.^[5][6] Ghazi Kanaan was its chief from 2002 to 2004.^[7] In 2004, Muhammad Manasra became its head.^[8] In 2011, its chief was Deeb Zaitoun, an Alawite.^[9]

Heads of Political Security Directorate

• Ahmad Sa'id Salih (past - 1987)^[10]
• Adnan Badr Hassan (1987–2002)^[11]
• Ghazi Kanaan (2002–2004) ^[12]
• Muhammad Mansoura (2004–2009)^[13][14]
• Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (2009 – July 2012)^[9][15]
• Rustum Ghazali (July 2012 – April 2015)

• Head of Investigative branch: Brig. Gen. Makhmoud al-Khattib (2011).^[16]
• Head of Operations branch: Brig. Gen. Mohamed Heikmat Ibrahim (2011).^[16]

Regional Heads of Political Security Directorate

• Daraa branch: Atef Najib (2011), the European Union sanctioned him for "being responsible for the violence against protesters in Daraa during the Syrian uprising".^[17] He was replaced by Brig. Gen. Nasser Al-Ali.^[16]

Other Syrian intelligence agencies

• General Security Directorate
• Military Intelligence Directorate
• Air Force Intelligence Directorate

References

1. "Syria, Intelligence and Security". Espionageinfo. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
2. "Syria's terror networks". Washington Times. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
3. "Bashar's Syria" (PDF). Retrieved 8 March 2013.
4. Paul Todd; Jonathan Bloch (8 November 2003). Global Intelligence: The World's Secret Services Today. Zed Books. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-84277-113-6. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
5. Batatu, Hanna (1999). Syria's Peasantry, the Descendants of Its Lesser Rural Notables, and Their Politics. Princeton University Press. p. 222.
6. "Syria's Intelligence Services: A Primer". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin 2 (6). 1 July 2000. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
7. "Syrian official commits suicide after probe". Mafhoum. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
8. Robert G. Rabil (2006). Syria, The United States, and the War on Terror in the Middle East. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-275-99015-2. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
9. Ahed Al Hendi (3 May 2011). "The Structure of Syria's Repression". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
10. Rathmell, Andrew (1996). "Syria's Intelligence Services: Origins and Development". The Journal of Conflict Studies 16 (2). Retrieved 8 March 2013.
11. The Annual Register: A Record of World Events 2002 - Keesings Worldwide. 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
12. "A rather convenient suicide". The Economist. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
13. "Bahjat Suleiman Moved along with Other Security Chiefs". Syria Comment. 19 June 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
14. "Political security department". Cablegatesearch. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
15. "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
16. "By all means necessary" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
17. "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.