Published on 24 December 2014, by M. Tomazy.
Just few days ago, Wall Street Journal reproduced a new scenario for the assassination of Al-
Assad's brother-in law, Assef Shawkat.
Assef Shawkat was, indeed, one of the strongest regime's men in Syria. And he was among the high-ranked officials who witnessed both Bashar's and his father's eras. Moreover, he was Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law.
WSJ reported an ill-cited article, which can be considered as one of Hollywood's scenarios. In summary, The report included the following ideas:
(1) Hawks of Syrian regime killed Bashar al-Assad's brother-in law, Assef Shawkat.
(2) The mentioned event was actually the turning point in the Syrian crisis, by which 'the regime's killing machine was accelerated'.
(3) The defected official and al-Assad's old friend, Manaf Tlas was: (a) a witness (b) one of the 'pigeons' by urging al-Assad for conversation with the protesters.
(4) All of the report's sources of information are enemies of Al-Assad:
(a) the former US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford.
(b) Manaf Tlas: the mentioned defected Syrian official. He also the son of former defense minister (i.e., Al-Assad's the father companion, and one of the regime's figures)
(c) Lebanese politician, Walid Joumblatt. One of Al-Assad's 'recent' enemies.
Here is another narration (in Arabic), taken from Rai Al-Youm news website [ my edited translation]:
"In March 2012, The Coalition of "Ansar Al-Islam" in Damascus and its countryside, which included "Lewa'a Al-Islam", led by Zahran Aloush and.. "al-Furqan" and "Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib", was watching the security chiefs in order to eliminate them, this was not to happen without cooperation of one of the bodyguards working in the place of the meeting or an employee in the office of a senior officials. They recruited one of them, a bodyguard of Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan, Secretary-General of al-Ba'ath Party and assigned him to poison food leaders gathered in the office of Bakhtian they were: Advisor Bashar al-ssad's military affairs and the leader of the "crisis cell" Hassan Turkmani, and Interior Minister Mohammad ASha'ar, and the head of the National Security Bureau Hisham Bakhtiar, Defense Minister Daoud Rajha, Deputy defense Minister Assef Shawkat, and Director of State Security Ali Mamlouk, and one of the military leaders in Damascus, Major General Salah al-Naimi...
The opposition announced the death of the regime figures -suspiciously- before it was clear to them.
No I thought I heard they were making up the news, but they thought that the process already has been successfully completed, and after the regime's denial, and the appearance of Asha'ar and Turkmani on the official Syrian television, the only explanation is that the client had been duped the "Coalition of Ansar Al-Islam", and did not implement the poison.
They [Syrian opposition] tried again and they hired one of the bodyguards of the President of the National Security Office Hisham Bakhtiar that insinuates an explosive device at the earliest meeting of the "crisis management cell".
In July 2012, Bakhtiar and Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha and his deputy Assef Shawkat and the head of "crisis management cell", Hassan Turkmani were killed, while commander of the fourth division of the Republican Guard, Maher al-Assad and Interior Minister Mohammad ASha'ar and head of the investigation branch of the State Security Hafez Makhlouf and Assistant Regional Secretary and Chief Financial Office Ba'ath Party Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan did not die. One of the four wounded, as was rumored that the former head of the Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, or the commander of the Iranian al-Quds Force of Kassem Suleiman died in the bombing.
The Wall Street Journal's narration that Bashar al-Assad's regime masterminded the assassination of Assef Shawkat is ridiculous, though the President can remove him [Assef Shawkat] from his position "with a stroke of a pen!", as Bashar al-Assad did when sacked the head of military intelligence Hassan Khalil in 2005 and replaced him with Assef Shawkat, then sacked Shawkat later on, while Shawkat did not hold a leadership position, but he was deputy defense minister Daoud Rajha.."
Assad's brother-in law, Assef Shawkat.
Assef Shawkat was, indeed, one of the strongest regime's men in Syria. And he was among the high-ranked officials who witnessed both Bashar's and his father's eras. Moreover, he was Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law.
WSJ reported an ill-cited article, which can be considered as one of Hollywood's scenarios. In summary, The report included the following ideas:
(1) Hawks of Syrian regime killed Bashar al-Assad's brother-in law, Assef Shawkat.
(2) The mentioned event was actually the turning point in the Syrian crisis, by which 'the regime's killing machine was accelerated'.
(3) The defected official and al-Assad's old friend, Manaf Tlas was: (a) a witness (b) one of the 'pigeons' by urging al-Assad for conversation with the protesters.
(4) All of the report's sources of information are enemies of Al-Assad:
(a) the former US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford.
(b) Manaf Tlas: the mentioned defected Syrian official. He also the son of former defense minister (i.e., Al-Assad's the father companion, and one of the regime's figures)
(c) Lebanese politician, Walid Joumblatt. One of Al-Assad's 'recent' enemies.
Here is another narration (in Arabic), taken from Rai Al-Youm news website [ my edited translation]:
"In March 2012, The Coalition of "Ansar Al-Islam" in Damascus and its countryside, which included "Lewa'a Al-Islam", led by Zahran Aloush and.. "al-Furqan" and "Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib", was watching the security chiefs in order to eliminate them, this was not to happen without cooperation of one of the bodyguards working in the place of the meeting or an employee in the office of a senior officials. They recruited one of them, a bodyguard of Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan, Secretary-General of al-Ba'ath Party and assigned him to poison food leaders gathered in the office of Bakhtian they were: Advisor Bashar al-ssad's military affairs and the leader of the "crisis cell" Hassan Turkmani, and Interior Minister Mohammad ASha'ar, and the head of the National Security Bureau Hisham Bakhtiar, Defense Minister Daoud Rajha, Deputy defense Minister Assef Shawkat, and Director of State Security Ali Mamlouk, and one of the military leaders in Damascus, Major General Salah al-Naimi...
The opposition announced the death of the regime figures -suspiciously- before it was clear to them.
No I thought I heard they were making up the news, but they thought that the process already has been successfully completed, and after the regime's denial, and the appearance of Asha'ar and Turkmani on the official Syrian television, the only explanation is that the client had been duped the "Coalition of Ansar Al-Islam", and did not implement the poison.
They [Syrian opposition] tried again and they hired one of the bodyguards of the President of the National Security Office Hisham Bakhtiar that insinuates an explosive device at the earliest meeting of the "crisis management cell".
In July 2012, Bakhtiar and Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha and his deputy Assef Shawkat and the head of "crisis management cell", Hassan Turkmani were killed, while commander of the fourth division of the Republican Guard, Maher al-Assad and Interior Minister Mohammad ASha'ar and head of the investigation branch of the State Security Hafez Makhlouf and Assistant Regional Secretary and Chief Financial Office Ba'ath Party Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan did not die. One of the four wounded, as was rumored that the former head of the Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, or the commander of the Iranian al-Quds Force of Kassem Suleiman died in the bombing.
The Wall Street Journal's narration that Bashar al-Assad's regime masterminded the assassination of Assef Shawkat is ridiculous, though the President can remove him [Assef Shawkat] from his position "with a stroke of a pen!", as Bashar al-Assad did when sacked the head of military intelligence Hassan Khalil in 2005 and replaced him with Assef Shawkat, then sacked Shawkat later on, while Shawkat did not hold a leadership position, but he was deputy defense minister Daoud Rajha.."
