Hussein al-Salama

Hussein al-Salama
حسين السلامة
Director of the General Intelligence Service
Assumed office
3 May 2025
Preceded byAnas Khattab
Acting Governor of Deir ez-Zor[a]
In office
December 2024 – 7 January 2025
Succeeded byGhassan al-Sayyed Ahmed
Personal details
Born1984 (age 40–41)
Al-Shuhayl, Deir ez-Zor, Syria
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (until 2025)
NicknameAbu Musaab al-Shuhayl[b]

Hussein al-Salama,[c] also known as Abu Musaab al-Shuhayl,[d] is a Syrian intelligence officer and former militant leader. He currently serves as the Director of the General Intelligence Service of Syria since May 2025.

Early life and education

Al-Salama was born in 1984 in the town of Al-Shuhayl in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate and belongs to Al-Uqaydat tribe. He holds a certificate from the Institute of Technical Supervisors, and a diploma in Management and Economics.[1][2]

Career

Al-Salama was formerly a senior commander in Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. He later became affiliated with the Syrian government following the fall of the Assad regime and was appointed as the acting governor for the Governorates of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and al-Hasakah.[3] He resigned less than a month after the appointment, stating that he had refused from the beginning to assume the governorship, preferring instead to pursue a military path. He also stressed that the situation in the eastern region as a whole, and Deir ez-Zor Governorate in particular, is extremely complex, with many entities and countries harboring ambitions for it. He added that he would not be able to manage the work on all levels, and that the tribal aspect that dominates the social fabric in Deir ez-Zor has caused him great trouble in his work.[4]

Following an agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in March 2025, he was tasked with overseeing negotiations and security arrangements, particularly in the context of ongoing political and military developments in the region.[3]

On 3 May 2025, he was appointed Director of the General Intelligence Service of Syria, making him also a member of the National Security Council of Syria.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "حسين السلامة يخلف خطاب برئاسة المخابرات العامة السورية" [Hussein al-Salama succeeds Khattab as head of Syrian General Intelligence]. Al-Modon (in Arabic). 4 May 2025. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  2. ^ "مفاوض "قسد".. من هو رئيس الاستخبارات السوري الجديد حسين السلامة؟" [The negotiator with "SDF".. who is the new director of Syrian intelligence, Hussein al-Salama?]. Erem News (in Arabic). 4 May 2025. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b "حسين سلامة" [Hussein al-Salama]. ManHom (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  4. ^ "محافظ دير الزور يستقيل من منصبه بعد أقل من شهر على تعيينه!" [Deir ez-Zor governor resigns less than a month after his appointment!]. Naher Media (in Arabic). 7 January 2025. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

Notes

  1. ^ Also responsible for Raqqa and Al-Hasakah.[1]
  2. ^ Arabic: أبو مصعب الشحيل
  3. ^ Arabic: حسين السلامة
  4. ^ Arabic: أبو مصعب الشحيل