President Names New Director of Intelligence
From Times Wire Reports
Syrian President Bashar Assad replaced the chief of military intelligence with his brother-in-law, a Syrian official said, four days after the assassination in Beirut of Lebanon’s former prime minister.
The chief of military intelligence oversees operations in Syria and Lebanon, where Syria has about 16,000 troops and many intelligence agents.
Gen. Hassan Khalil, 65, had passed retirement age, the official said on condition of anonymity. The new chief is Khalil’s deputy, Brig. Gen. Asef Shawkat, 55.
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