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Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad brother in-law’s assets in the U.S. were frozen by the treasury department, Assef Shawkat Syria’s military intelligence chief is accused by Washington of contributing to violence in Lebanon and Iraq. He is also accused of playing a direct and major role in Syria’s support for terrorism, including the insurgency in Iraq.
Here is an interesting little story about him:
Assef Shawkat, the mysterious figure who has recently emerged as one of Bashar’s top security chiefs, was born in the coastal city of Tartous in 1950 and grew up in modest comfort. In 1968, he moved to Damascus to pursue his higher education in the field of law. He graduated in 1972, and finding himself attracted to the arts, enrolled at the University of Damascus in history. His dissertation was on the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925 and the rural chieftains who led it. For unknown reasons, he lost interest in the subject and instead, hired an expert to write it for him. His professors found out and failed him. Having no choice, he stayed on in graduate school, rewrote his dissertation, and obtained his degree in 1976.
Damascus has been under heavy international pressure since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February of last year. Last June the Treasury department froze the assets of Syria’s late Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan, and the chief of military intelligence for Lebanon, Rustin Ghazali.
A touching story about the sweet and thankfully late Kannan can be found here, the highlight is this little passage:
Since 1990, Kanaan has literally become the “king-maker” in Lebanese politics–the election of the president is strictly subject to his official approval. In October 1995, just weeks before the expiration of Lebanese President Elias Hrawi’s term in office, Kanaan attended a party hosted by former prime minister Umar Karami and announced to the numerous MPs present that they were to amend article 49 of the constitution and extend Hrawi’s tenure for three more years. According to an account of the evening, published by al-Hayat,
Kanaan then raised his hand, saying that the vote would take place by a raising of hands and would not be secret . . . Everyone looked as if they had just been through a cold shower . . . The party broke up early. Presidential hopefuls departed with their wives, one complaining of tiredness, another saying he had a headache.1
Syria is Accused of being obstructive in its dealing with the investigating team, since the U.N team began its investigations, key witnesses either lied or mysteriously died in various car accidents. One would think that Syrians would get used to bad news by now, after all they had plenty of time to adjust to their status of an international pariah. The country has few useful friends left in the area, it has war on its border with Iraq, Israeli soldiers on the Golan Heights, and verbal fire from the Lebanese side.
2 Comments
I could have told you before, the Syrian
fish stinks from the head,ie,the Syrian
president Bashar al Asaad.
Its time the west should react to the Syrian interference in the lebanese affairs.
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