Ibrahim Huweija, a former Syrian intelligence officer, was arrested in Latakia during clashes. He is blamed for various assassinations, notably Kamal Jumblatt’s killing in 1977. Formerly the head of Air Force Intelligence, his arrest provoked shock among Lebanese supporters of Jumblatt. Huweija was close to key regime figures and was dismissed in 2002 by Bashar al-Assad as part of a political shift following his father’s era.
Ibrahim Huweija, a former Syrian intelligence officer, was arrested in Latakia amid violent clashes on Thursday. He is accused of numerous assassinations, including that of Kamal Jumblatt, a significant figure in Lebanese politics, in 1977. Huweija previously led the Air Force Intelligence, a key agency under the Assad regime that ruled Syria for decades and is infamous for its brutality.
The arrest of Huweija has shocked many in Lebanon, particularly supporters of Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), who are set to commemorate 48 years since the assassination of their founder. Huweija, who was born in Ain Shaqaq, began his military career in the Assad regime in the 1970s and was appointed Director of Air Force Intelligence in 1995.
Aligned with Rifaat al-Assad, Huweija was implicated in the repression of dissidents and high-profile security incidents during Syria’s military dominance in Lebanon until 2005. His culpability extends to the political assassinations in Lebanon under Syrian oversight. With respect to Kamal Jumblatt’s assassination, Huweija was serving as a captain when he was murdered.
Following the arrest, Walid Jumblatt, Kamal’s son and current leader of the PSP, expressed his relief on social media, reiterating accusations against the Assad regime regarding his father’s killing. Huweija was dismissed from his post by Bashar al-Assad in 2002, a move interpreted as an attempt to diminish the influence of the previous regime’s loyalists following Bashar’s ascension to power after his father’s death in 2000.
Ibrahim Huweija’s arrest marks a significant moment in the longstanding tensions surrounding Syrian political history and its impact on Lebanon. Accused of high-profile assassinations, including that of Kamal Jumblatt, his apprehension has ignited reactions among Lebanese citizens. As a former head of a notorious intelligence agency, Huweija’s legacy epitomizes the violence of the Assad regime, demonstrating the complexities of the region’s troubled past.
Original Source: www.newarab.com
