Syrian forces arrested Ibrahim Huweija, a former intelligence officer, for the 1977 murder of Lebanese leader Kamal Jumblatt during clashes with Assad supporters. Huweija led Air Force Intelligence from 1987-2002 and is suspected of numerous assassinations under the Assad regime.
Syrian security forces have arrested Ibrahim Huweija, a former intelligence officer suspected of multiple murders, including the assassination of Lebanese opposition leader Kamal Jumblatt in 1977. This arrest occurred during clashes with supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad in Latakia, marking significant fighting since his ouster in December.
Huweija served as the head of Air Force Intelligence from 1987 to 2002, initially under Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father. Due to his past, Huweija is seldom seen in public, and information about him is scarce.
According to a security source, Huweija is implicated in numerous assassinations carried out during Hafez al-Assad’s regime, including overseeing Jumblatt’s assassination. Kamal Jumblatt, a leader from the Druze community and founder of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party, opposed Hafez al-Assad’s military interventions in Lebanon that exacerbated the civil war. He was killed near a Syrian border post on March 16, 1977.
The news of Huweija’s arrest was shared by Jumblatt’s son, Walid, on X, who expressed his sentiments with the phrase, “Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest).” This development has potentially significant implications for the historical accountability of figures involved in the violent politics of that era.
The arrest of Ibrahim Huweija marks a critical development in the ongoing quest for accountability regarding political violence in Syria and Lebanon. As a significant figure of the Assad regime, his apprehension raises questions about past state-sponsored crimes, particularly the assassination of Kamal Jumblatt. Continued scrutiny of such figures may help shed light on the dark chapters of regional history. The reactions from political heirs, such as Walid Jumblatt, indicate the lasting impacts of these events on current political dynamics.
Original Source: www.ndtv.com
