Mohammed Dib Zaitoun

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Mohammed Dib Zaitoun
محمد ديب زيتون
Director of the National Security Bureau of
the Regional Command
In office
9 July 2019 – 18 January 2024
Regional Secretary
Deputy		Bashar al-Assad
Abdel-Fatah Qudsiyeh
Preceded byAli Mamlouk
Succeeded byKifah Moulhem
Director of the General Intelligence Directorate
In office
25 July 2012 – 7 July 2019
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Prime MinisterRiyad Farid Hijab
Wael al-Halqi
Imad Khamis
Preceded byZouheir Hamad
Succeeded byHossam Louka
Director of Political Security Directorate
In office
2009 – 25 July 2012
Preceded byMuhammad Mansoura
Succeeded byRustum Ghazali
Personal details
Born (1951-02-21) 21 February 1951 (age 73)
Damascus, Syria
Political partyBa'ath Party
Military service
AllegianceSyria Syria
Branch/serviceSyrian Arab Army
Years of service1971-2009
Rank Major General
UnitMechanized Infantry
Military Intelligence
Commands10th Mechanized Division (1999-2007)
General Security Directorate Second in Command (2007-2009)
Political Security Directorate (2009-2012)
General Security Directorate (2012-2019)
National Security Bureau (2019-2024)
Battles/warsSyrian civil war

Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (Arabic: محمد ديب زيتون; born 20 February 1951) is a former director of the Syrian General Security Directorate and a close adviser of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[1] He is one of many officials sanctioned by the European Union for their actions against protesters participating in the Syrian civil war.[2] On 9 July 2019, Dib Zaitoun was appointed as the Director of National Security Bureau of the Ba'ath Party. His tenure ended on 18 January 2024.[3]

Background[edit]

Mohammed Dib Zaitoun was born in Damascus to a Sunni family.[4] His father was a Sergeant in the Syrian Army. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in a Mechanized Infantry regiment in the Syrian Arab Army in November 1971 after graduating from the 3-year long officer course at the Homs Military Academy. Before taking up his position as head of the General Security Directorate, he was the head of the Political Security Directorate (PSD). He took over the PSD position in 2009 after the previous head Muhammad Mansoura was removed because of his involvement in organized smuggling activity on the Syrian Iraqi border.[citation needed]

Before being head of the PSD, Dib Zaitoun had been the deputy head of the General Security Directorate during which time he was asked, along with other members of the president's inner circle, to investigate the assassination in 2008 of Hezbollah’s Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus.[1][5]

Syrian Civil War[edit]

At the start of the Syrian uprising, Dib Zaitoun became one of nine members of the government’s Central Crisis Management Cell which was tasked with handling the protests and the violent crack down on protesters.[6] After the 18 July 2012 bombing of the crisis management cell and the death of four key members of the crisis management team, Dib Zaitoun was elevated to head the General Security Directorate and his previous position as head of the Political Security Directorate was taken over by Rustum Ghazali.[1] The two countries appear to maintain a certain degree of cooperation, particularly in intelligence matters.

In 2016, Mohammad Dib Zeitoun, the former head of Syria's General Directorate of Security, held meetings with Alberto Manenti, the former head of Italy's external security agency AISE.[7] In July 2019, General Mohamed Dib Zeitoun, the national security chief has been replaced by General Houssam Louka.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 18 May 2011.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ Ibrahim Hamidi (24 January 2024). "Is al-Assad about to have his very own 'Sadat Moment'?". Al Majalla. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Garde_bachar_en_04". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Considering a Palace Coup in Syria". Global Intelligence, Stratfor. 8 July 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  6. ^ Khoury, Rana (20 April 2012). "Assad's 'Crisis Cell' reveals Syrian regime in crisis". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  7. ^ Haid Haid (28 July 2023). "Why Italy is quietly boosting ties with al-Assad". Al Majalla. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  8. ^ Paul Khalifeh (17 July 2019). "Syria war: Why did Assad restructure the military-security apparatus?". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
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