![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OLTDWE5GBBNAQODOYX76G3VQNY.jpg?smart=true&auth=085019f0c13e0b8e53113ee194837480e7b7b7a3b6b38def7b14acba39943d0f&width=400&height=225)
A Syrian soldier outside the Beirut headquarters of the Syrian army intelligence, March 5, 2005. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QT5AQAVUD7NBH2MQJ7WDJCZRMU.jpg?smart=true&auth=ee6ffa3de2d29c9d7cb5b38c3cb7352608794a31a9481f2efa80a89b690b4255&width=400&height=225)
Maher Al Assad, during the funeral of his father Hafez, in the village of Qerdaha in the Alawite Mountains, June 2000. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6KE3OGXTXTJT4LJIOOXSQDHGCI.jpg?smart=true&auth=1c0ecd372229038c3c5305c1c68e0f3be876efa3b301e858421e33315b79c679&width=400&height=225)
Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan. The regime said Kanaan committed suicide in his Damascus office on 12 October 2005. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2UBHWIQ7QP5W745ZVUXYSA2XDU.jpg?smart=true&auth=7d15143cfff4173f78cd3e57669ead02724c158637753d9c202b49e071e778ae&width=400&height=225)
Syrian General Rustom Ghazaleh on December 23, 2011. Ghazaleh died in Damascus in mysterious circumstances in 2015. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2B4EZWZ3MTVJJSPOUBJJC2IY6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=9d25572db1ea83a6e29277ce890679bff99b4bf22bf096cbdd31a9d4fdf1c4ff&width=400&height=225)
Bashar Al Assad's late brother-in-law Assef Shawkat in Damascus on June 13, 2000. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OBNCL2GUHC3DEKWVAS52GKS6II.jpg?smart=true&auth=624aac385fcd9eb356bc2fd4f66fb171658f93f43e46d4c456b40e8ea921c8f9&width=400&height=225)
Syrian warlord Suheil AL Hassan (L), a member of a new generation of regime enforcers, in northern Syria, on January 7, 2016 AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PODZYOE2XFK22BPAS3SZC6LOCM.jpg?smart=true&auth=d5c2d99cad5aaaa05d665ba71e3de1f9afaa338aef74c8900d3071e900da52ed&width=400&height=225)
A Syrian intelligence (Mukhabarat) officer on April 25, 2005, leaving Lebanon as regime troops pulled out of the country. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/V35UCCU6Z5ZJGSAFIWEMY7XOG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=efdee91edf8806e3982dea37a3f8c6c9f6cf6a04f3a72dffdbdd49aa1a100167&width=400&height=225)
Syrian Oligarch Rami Makhlouf on Facebook on May 11, 2020. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DRG2QGFUTPJE6SAKWCDZMZMNRI.jpg?smart=true&auth=d8170db56e78bd80ec0a0893decb617f30684c7a8d9de10f1d4d66ec774ce852&width=400&height=225)
A government sponsored pro-Assad rally in the Alawite coastal city of Jableh March 6 ,2014. Sana handout via Reuters.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TUPS4QWRT5SESQW4CVJWMRJ73A.jpg?smart=true&auth=583e1293a6a9b80b68a06573f08f2ea61556290909eb36516ce7cbf948dd9dfb&width=400&height=225)
Detlev Mehlis, Commissioner of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission into the assassination of Lebanese statesman Rafik Hariri, on December 13, 2005. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CJRG75RWSNRSSYLTKKW3N3MOQ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f0adf9bb0e69122a6d3581bd516271a3d2113c6da3720ff8b9b12f80a5aa4a04&width=400&height=225)
Rafik Hariri l. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OLTDWE5GBBNAQODOYX76G3VQNY.jpg?smart=true&auth=085019f0c13e0b8e53113ee194837480e7b7b7a3b6b38def7b14acba39943d0f&width=400&height=225)
A Syrian soldier outside the Beirut headquarters of the Syrian army intelligence, March 5, 2005. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QT5AQAVUD7NBH2MQJ7WDJCZRMU.jpg?smart=true&auth=ee6ffa3de2d29c9d7cb5b38c3cb7352608794a31a9481f2efa80a89b690b4255&width=400&height=225)
Maher Al Assad, during the funeral of his father Hafez, in the village of Qerdaha in the Alawite Mountains, June 2000. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6KE3OGXTXTJT4LJIOOXSQDHGCI.jpg?smart=true&auth=1c0ecd372229038c3c5305c1c68e0f3be876efa3b301e858421e33315b79c679&width=400&height=225)
Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan. The regime said Kanaan committed suicide in his Damascus office on 12 October 2005. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2UBHWIQ7QP5W745ZVUXYSA2XDU.jpg?smart=true&auth=7d15143cfff4173f78cd3e57669ead02724c158637753d9c202b49e071e778ae&width=400&height=225)
Syrian General Rustom Ghazaleh on December 23, 2011. Ghazaleh died in Damascus in mysterious circumstances in 2015. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2B4EZWZ3MTVJJSPOUBJJC2IY6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=9d25572db1ea83a6e29277ce890679bff99b4bf22bf096cbdd31a9d4fdf1c4ff&width=400&height=225)
Bashar Al Assad's late brother-in-law Assef Shawkat in Damascus on June 13, 2000. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OBNCL2GUHC3DEKWVAS52GKS6II.jpg?smart=true&auth=624aac385fcd9eb356bc2fd4f66fb171658f93f43e46d4c456b40e8ea921c8f9&width=400&height=225)
Syrian warlord Suheil AL Hassan (L), a member of a new generation of regime enforcers, in northern Syria, on January 7, 2016 AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PODZYOE2XFK22BPAS3SZC6LOCM.jpg?smart=true&auth=d5c2d99cad5aaaa05d665ba71e3de1f9afaa338aef74c8900d3071e900da52ed&width=400&height=225)
A Syrian intelligence (Mukhabarat) officer on April 25, 2005, leaving Lebanon as regime troops pulled out of the country. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/V35UCCU6Z5ZJGSAFIWEMY7XOG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=efdee91edf8806e3982dea37a3f8c6c9f6cf6a04f3a72dffdbdd49aa1a100167&width=400&height=225)
Syrian Oligarch Rami Makhlouf on Facebook on May 11, 2020. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DRG2QGFUTPJE6SAKWCDZMZMNRI.jpg?smart=true&auth=d8170db56e78bd80ec0a0893decb617f30684c7a8d9de10f1d4d66ec774ce852&width=400&height=225)
A government sponsored pro-Assad rally in the Alawite coastal city of Jableh March 6 ,2014. Sana handout via Reuters.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TUPS4QWRT5SESQW4CVJWMRJ73A.jpg?smart=true&auth=583e1293a6a9b80b68a06573f08f2ea61556290909eb36516ce7cbf948dd9dfb&width=400&height=225)
Detlev Mehlis, Commissioner of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission into the assassination of Lebanese statesman Rafik Hariri, on December 13, 2005. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CJRG75RWSNRSSYLTKKW3N3MOQ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f0adf9bb0e69122a6d3581bd516271a3d2113c6da3720ff8b9b12f80a5aa4a04&width=400&height=225)
Rafik Hariri l. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OLTDWE5GBBNAQODOYX76G3VQNY.jpg?smart=true&auth=085019f0c13e0b8e53113ee194837480e7b7b7a3b6b38def7b14acba39943d0f&width=400&height=225)
A Syrian soldier outside the Beirut headquarters of the Syrian army intelligence, March 5, 2005. AFP
Mysterious killings of Syrian regime operatives hint at inside jobs
Settling of scores among Bashar Al Assad loyalists seems to be under way as liquidity crunch bites in areas under president’s control
![Khaled Yacoub Oweis](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fefa30c75-d27a-4056-a69c-9ac584809392.png?smart=true&auth=647845e021f788d3879777eb8e3abe275d6ff95e85adb6d307aa809b8e9b3bff&width=70&height=70)
Khaled Yacoub Oweis
24 July, 2020
- Listen In English
- Listen In Arabic