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Assad goes to the mattresses?
 DEBKAfile Exclusive: Syrian military and security forces are on the highest alert in the mountain strongholds of the ruling Alawi clans east of Latakia. They are braced for a vendetta within the Alawi community of which President Bashar Assad and his supporters are leading members. They fear that at least two clans may reject the official claim that interior minister Ghazi Kenaan died by his own hand Wednesday and seek revenge. | It's time for Syrian Family Feud! |
Assad had thought to appoint Kenaanâs successor - most likely a former interior minister Hassan Harabe â without delay. He was deterred by a warning that he could no longer rely on the loyalty of the security and intelligence services ruled by the dead minister. | "Baby Assad dun had da boss wacked!" |
| This assumes that he ever once trusted the security and intel services. |
There has been speculation in Washington and Damascus that the Assad may have made former Lebanon strongman and pillar of his regime the scapegoat should the UN Hariri investigators point the finger at top Syrian circles when their report comes out on Oct. 21. | "Nothing personal, Ghazi. Just business" |
DEBKAfileâs Syria observers report that the last high Syrian military alert occurred in 2000 towards the end of Basharâs father president Hafez Assad term when prime minister Mahmoud Zouaby, a Sunni, was whacked killed himself after he was imprisoned on corruption charges. The only time before that was in 1968 when Syrian military intelligence chief Gen. Abndel Karim al Jundi, an Ismaili, also was whacked committed suicide. | Seems to be a pattern there. |
Posted by: Steve 2005-10-14 |
