Military Intelligence Directorate (Syria)


The Military Intelligence Directorate is the military intelligence service of Syria. Although its roots go back to the French mandate period, its current organization was established in 1969. Its predecessor organisation was called the Deuxième Bureau. It is headquartered at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus.
The military intelligence service, or the Mukhabarat in Arabic, is very influential in Syrian politics and is controlled by the President, Bashar al-Assad. It is suspected of providing support to different radical groups. The service also monitors opponents of the government outside Syria. During the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, the Mukhabarat exercised political authority in Lebanon.
Rafiq Shahadah has headed the Directorate since 2012.

Heads of Military Intelligence