Syria’s fired Defense Minister found dead

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Until yesterday, General Ali Habib was Syria’s defense minister, helping orchestrate and implement the regime’s brutal crackdown on dissent that has left more than 2,000 civilians dead across the country, Ynetnews.com reports.

Today, General Habib was found dead in his home, reportedly with gunshot wounds from automatic weapons, according to Debkafile, an Israeli security tabloid.

A Syrian newspaper in London reported that Habib had been pushed out in retaliation for his opposition to sending troops into Hama, which has faced a week-long assault from the army that alone has left hundreds dead.

If the regime of President Bashar Al Assad, a member of the minority Alawite Muslim sect, is behind the general’s death, as seems highly likely, that could indicate that the ruling elite is fracturing, possibly opening an opportunity for the protestors to break the stalemate that has gripped the country for months. Such divisions in the ruling class pushed the protests in Egypt and Libya over the edge into full-fledged rebellion.

SANA reported that Habib “has been ill for some time, and his health condition deteriorated recently.”

“Habib was advancing in age and was experiencing health problems but there are reasons to suspect that he may have been assassinated by elements within the Assad regime,” an analysis from Texas intelligence company Stratfor reads.

The analysis notes that Habib had disagreed with Assad’s regime over the use of force against protesters.

Assad has faced mounting international condemnation over the use of military force against people demonstrating against his regime.

UPI, Business insider

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40 responses to “Syria’s fired Defense Minister found dead”

  1. Why do you disrespect your readers to the extent that you use a photo of General Ali Habib refuting his death rumors in a statement & pledging his loyalty to the president while confirming the official SANA statement about being treated at s hospital for sickness, you use the same photo in telling your readers that he was killed by the regime? Grow up and respect the people you are addressing if you lost faith in your ability to have any presence politically inside Lebanon let alone a regional influence.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Well .. it’s not like they are letting reporters in for recent ‘photo-ops’.
        If they have a picture of the body with holes somewhere, would you prefer that?

    2. Hannibal Avatar

      Does he dare say anything else? even from his grave?

    3. I see no sbstance or merit in your argument.

  2.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Why do you disrespect your readers to the extent that you use a photo of General Ali Habib refuting his death rumors in a statement & pledging his loyalty to the president while confirming the official SANA statement about being treated at s hospital for sickness, you use the same photo in telling your readers that he was killed by the regime? Grow up and respect the people you are addressing if you lost faith in your ability to have any presence politically inside Lebanon let alone a regional influence.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Well .. it’s not like they are letting reporters in for recent ‘photo-ops’.
        If they have a picture of the body with holes somewhere, would you prefer that?

    2.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Well .. it’s not like they are letting reporters in for recent ‘photo-ops’.
        If they have a picture of the body with holes somewhere, would you prefer that?

    3. Does he dare say anything else? even from his grave?

    4. I see no sbstance or merit in your argument.

  3. maybe was about to defect. Only a high ranking general, defense minister or interior minister can make a difference they defect. I dont think the regime will last for more than 60 to 90 days. At least not the way we know it.

  4.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    maybe was about to defect. Only a high ranking general, defense minister or interior minister can make a difference they defect. I dont think the regime will last for more than 60 to 90 days. At least not the way we know it.

  5. israel will be blamed for this one too, the zionisssstess strike again

  6. the zionisssstess strike again

  7. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    ” … his health condition deteriorated recently.”
      I guess we can all agree on that. He may have been a man with a conscience. 

    1. 7akibalash Avatar
      7akibalash

      oh yeah, havent you heard of the bullet holes condition? it happens when your health starts to deteriorate and you’re up there in age… natural death, I must admit though this is the first case of it 😀

    2. antar2011 Avatar
      antar2011

      or perhaps have been asked to make way for another just like the different governors that have been sacked by Bashaar from different sububs in syria…

  8.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    ” … his health condition deteriorated recently.”
      I guess we can all agree on that. He may have been a man with a conscience. 

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      oh yeah, havent you heard of the bullet holes condition? it happens when your health starts to deteriorate and you’re up there in age… natural death, I must admit though this is the first case of it 😀

    2.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      or perhaps have been asked to make way for another just like the different governors that have been sacked by Bashaar from different sububs in syria…

  9. shankarees Avatar
    shankarees

    The “Zionist” (as they always claim) plot in this case is to get rid of the minister and appoint a Christian Defense Minister so that when Assad falls, the Christians of Syria will be held responsible for the blood bath going on now.  It is long term planning by the Assad regime to pit all sects against one another.

  10.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    The “Zionist” (as they always claim) plot in this case is to get rid of the minister and appoint a Christian Defense Minister so that when Assad falls, the Christians of Syria will be held responsible for the blood bath going on now.  It is long term planning by the Assad regime to pit all sects against one another.

  11. Patience2 Avatar
    Patience2

    Another ‘leak’ plugged(no pun intended).

  12.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Another ‘leak’ plugged(no pun intended).

  13. PROPHET.T Avatar
    PROPHET.T

    Hannibal,
    There is a bridge between goals and accomplishments called discipline. When survival becomes a goal, discipline becomes a talent lol

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Wow … good one. Goes into my ‘quotes’ list .. 🙂

      I assume that was the origional 7aki ? 🙂

    2. 7akibalash Avatar
      7akibalash

      “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments” Jim Rohn

  14. PROPHET.T Avatar
    PROPHET.T

    Hannibal,
    There is a bridge between goals and accomplishments called discipline. When survival becomes a goal, discipline becomes a talent lol

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Wow … good one. Goes into my ‘quotes’ list .. 🙂

    2.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Wow … good one. Goes into my ‘quotes’ list .. 🙂

    3.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments” Jim Rohn

  15. Lets start a bet who will be next in line to get really sick and die instantly or commit suicide with 13 bullets… I say Rustom Ghazaleh… I put $5 on that dude…. Maher and Asef Shawkat will stay until the end, they’re right before Bashar…..

  16.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Lets start a bet who will be next in line to get really sick and die instantly or commit suicide with 13 bullets… I say Rustom Ghazaleh… I put $5 on that dude…. Maher and Asef Shawkat will stay until the end, they’re right before Bashar…..

  17. Fauzia45 Avatar

    This is what happens to anyone who opposes in such regimes!!

  18.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    This is what happens to anyone who opposes in such regimes!!

  19. antar2011 Avatar
    antar2011

    ya lateef!

    el 3ama…

  20.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    ya lateef!

    el 3ama…

  21. antar2011 Avatar
    antar2011

    illness my leg, he looked like a “erd” readin his statement on TV…

    little he knew that they were plotting for his assassination…

    when i think about it it gives me the shivvers on the extent Bashaar is willing to go to to save his ^&*(% neck

  22.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    illness my leg, he looked like a “erd” readin his statement on TV…

    little he knew that they were plotting for his assassination…

    when i think about it it gives me the shivvers on the extent Bashaar is willing to go to to save his ^&*(% neck

  23. When a reporter tells a lie of this magnitude, then asks experts who confirm the lie and start analyzing reasons and results what credibility would this report have? This is the substance and merit in the argument, if you still didn’t understand it, nothing would make you understand.

    I dare Hannibal to say anything in public against Hariri in Tripoli, maybe Ashraf Al Nas with the Religious MPs from there will slit your throat in accordance with Sharia Law.

  24.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    When a reporter tells a lie of this magnitude, then asks experts who confirm the lie and start analyzing reasons and results what credibility would this report have? This is the substance and merit in the argument, if you still didn’t understand it, nothing would make you understand.

    I dare Hannibal to say anything in public against Hariri in Tripoli, maybe Ashraf Al Nas with the Religious MPs from there will slit your throat in accordance with Sharia Law.

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