Loading AI tools
Syrian politician and businessman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ghassan Hitto (Arabic: غسان هيتو; born 1963) is a Syrian politician and the first head of an interim government established by the Syrian opposition National Coalition.[1][2] Born in Damascus into a Kurdish family, he left Syria to the U.S. in 1980, became a naturalized American citizen and worked as an information technology executive and lived in Texas until recently. In late 2012, he relocated to Turkey.[3] He was elected prime minister on 18 March 2013 by a narrow margin over former Syrian Arab Republic agricultural minister Assad Mustafa.[4] Hitto resigned on 8 July 2013.[5]
Ghassan Hitto | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ghassan Hitto in 2013 | |
| Prime Minister of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Acting | |
| In office 18 March 2013 – 14 September 2013 | |
| President | Moaz al-Khatib George Sabra (acting) Ahmad al-Jarba |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Tu'mah al-Khader |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1963 (age 60–61) Damascus, Syria |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis Indiana Wesleyan University |
Hitto graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis in 1989 with degrees in mathematics and computer science.[6][7] He also received an M.B.A. at Indiana Wesleyan University in 1994.[3][6]
Hitto is a former businessman who has lived in the United States for decades, most recently in Murphy, Texas.[2][8] Before joining the opposition, he worked with Inovar, a Telecommunication firm, from 2001 to 2012.[6]
Hitto is married to Suzanne Hitto, an American schoolteacher; they have four children, Amer, Imran, Obaida, Lama all born in the United States.[4] He has worked in the technology sector and supported the private school Brighter Horizons Academy[9] founded in 1989 by the Islamic Services Foundation (ISF).[10] He is also a founding member of the Muslim Legal Fund of America[11] created after the 11 September 2001 attacks to give legal aid to Muslims.
Hitto received 35 of 48 votes cast for the premiership, according to the BBC.[12] Following his election, at least 12 key members of the SNC have suspended their membership partly as a result of Hitto's election on a majority vote instead of a consensus vote.[13]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
