Oct 16, 2014

Syrian Col. Hafez Makhlouf left Damascus last week through Beirut to relocate to Belarus, with the knowledge of the authorities. This is Makhlouf’s first movement after his dismissal from the Syrian army, which came at his request, as circulated within official Syrian channels. This news will not go unnoticed, as the man in question is highly reputable.

Makhlouf is the cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He was, until two weeks ago, the state's most powerful and influential security official. He was also a chief leader in the Syrian conflict that has been ongoing for three years now, given his security position in the capital itself. But all this ended a few days ago. The Syrian army leadership issued a surprise decision to dismiss Hafez.

The dismissal has raised many questions. What will be Makhlouf's fate? What will he do now? Will he return to Syria? Did he abandon the regime or did the regime abandon him?

Hafez is not just an average cousin. The matter is much more complicated. His large family is known to be highly influential in the Syrian and Alawite spheres. He is the brother of prominent businessman Rami Makhlouf, who was put on the Western sanctions list at the beginning of the crisis. Shortly after, it was said that he had given up on the majority of his businesses for the sake of state and the Syrian people. Hafez and Rami were very close to Bashar, as well as his brother Maher and brother-in-law Assef Shawkat (the husband of Bashar's sister Boushra, who was killed July 18, 2012, in a Damascus bombing that targeted a security meeting).

Rami built his reputation on money and business. Hafez, however, was famous in the world of military and intelligence. He moved up the military ladder until in 2008 he was assigned chief of Branch 40, which is affiliated with state security’s internal security unit. This position is important because the branch is in charge of civilian security in Syria. This unit oversees the regime's relations with political parties, trade unions, universities and students. In other words, it manages every aspect of Syrian civil society. Branch 40 is responsible for Damascus, where one-third of the Syrian population resides and half of its students and politicians are located.