Ali Hammoud Explained

Office:Minister of Interior
Primeminister:Muhammad Mustafa Mero
President:Bashar al-Assad
Term Start:December 2001
Term End:October 2004
Predecessor:Mohammad Harba
Successor:Ghazi Kanaan
Birth Name:Ali Haj Hammoud
Birth Place:Homs
Party:Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
Rank: Major General

Ali Hammoud (Arabic: علي حمود, born 1944) is a former Syrian intelligence officer and general who served as minister of interior from 2001 to 2004.

Early life

Hammoud was born in Homs into an Alawite family in 1944.[1]

Career

Hammoud served as head of the general security administration and involved in suppressing the Islamic revolt during the period of 1976–1982. He was an intelligence officer served in West Beirut.[2] Then he was made Syria's military intelligence chief in Beirut and had the rank of brigadier general.[3] During his term in Lebanon, he had close ties with Emile Lahoud.[4] In May 1988 while serving as military intelligence chief in Lebanon Hammoud and three other Syrian military officers, Saeed Bairaqdar, Ghazi Kanaan and Zuheir Mustat, escaped an assassination in Ghobeiry district of Beirut.[5]

Hammoud was named the head of the General Security Directorate in October 2001, replacing Ali Houri in the post.[1] [6] Shortly after he was appointed interior minister in December 2001 in a cabinet reshuffle by Bashar al-Assad and replaced Mohammad Harba as interior minister.[7] [8] [9] The cabinet was headed by Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Mero.[10] Hammoud was also promoted to the rank of major general.[11] Hisham Ikhtiar succeeded Hammoud as the head of the General Security Directorate.[12] Hammoud served as interior minister until October 2004 when he was replaced by Ghazi Kanaan in a cabinet reshuffle.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Gary C. Gambill. The Military-Intelligence Shakeup in Syria. Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. February 2002. 4. 2.
  2. News: Irish envoy meets Syrian. The Bulletin. 10 January 2013. 15 July 1990. Beirut.
  3. News: Syria Rejects Iranian Role in Beirut Force. 14 August 2013. Los Angeles Times. 24 May 1988. AP. Beirut.
  4. Gary C. Gambill. Ziad K. Abdelnour. Bassam Endrawos. Dossier: Emile Lahoud. Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. November 2001. 3. 11.
  5. News: Nora Boustany. 4 Syrian Generals Escape Beirut Assassination Bid. 6 July 2022. The Washington Post. 27 May 1988. Beirut.
  6. Assad Launches Major Cabinet Reshuffle. Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. November 2001. 3. 11.
  7. Eyal Zisser. Bashar Al Assad and his Regime- Between Continuity and Change. Orient. June 2004. 45. 2. 239–256.
  8. News: New Syrian governments formed, 33 ministers, including 4 prime minister deputies, 17 ministers for the first time. 24 February 2013. Arabic News. 14 December 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20081014142335/http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/011214/2001121411.html. 14 October 2008. dead.
  9. Sami Moubayed. Ushering in the new. Al Ahram Weekly. 20–26 December 2001. 565. dead. 24 March 2013. Sami Moubayed. https://web.archive.org/web/20130324155957/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/565/re6.htm.
  10. News: New Syrian Government Formed; Veteran Guards Retain Defence and Foreign Portfolios. 9 February 2013. Albawaba. 14 December 2001.
  11. Book: The Middle East and North Africa 2003. 49th. 2003. Europa Publications. 978-1-85743-132-2. 1019. London; New York.
  12. Shmuel Bar. Bashar's Syria: The Regime and its Strategic Worldview. Comparative Strategy. 2006. 25. 5. 353–445 . 10.1080/01495930601105412. 154739379 .
  13. News: Obituary: Ghazi Kanaan. 10 January 2013. BBC. 12 October 2005.