Political Security Directorate

The Political Security Directorate (PSD, Arabic: إدارة الأمن السياسي, romanized: Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi) was an intelligence service of Ba'athist Syria. It was divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Department.^[2] Intelligence division was affiliated to the Ministry of Interior. Its activities involved the surveillance of the satellite parties of National Progressive Front and was active against the Syrian opposition.^[3][4] It monitors literature, print publications, political dissent, and all media outlets.^[2][5][6] This intelligence service was headed by Major General Ghaith Shafeeq Deeb from February 5, 2021 until December 2024.^[7]

Political Security Directorate

إدارة الأمن السياسي Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi
Agency overview
Formed	1971; 54 years ago (1971)
Dissolved	8 December 2024 (de facto) 29 January 2025 (de jure)[1]
Jurisdiction	Government of Syria
Headquarters	Kafr Sousa, Damascus, Syria
Agency executive	Ghaith Shafeeq Deeb, Director
Parent agency	Ministry of Interior

Organization

The Political Intelligence Directorate was supervised by the Ministry of Interior.^[8] The PSD was also controlled by former President Bashar al-Assad through the National Security Bureau of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Central Command.^[9] It was divided into two departments:^[10]

• Internal Security Department (ISD)
  • Investigative Branch
  • Operations Branch
• External Security Department (ESD)
  • Arab Affairs Branch
  • Refugee Affairs Branch
  • Zionist and Jewish Affairs Branch

Directors

• Ahmad Sa'id Salih (Early 80s —1987)^[10]
• Adnan Badr Hassan (1987–2002)^[11]
• Ghazi Kanaan (2002–2004)^[12]
• Muhammad Mansoura (2004–2009)^[13][14]
• Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (2009 – 25 July 2012)^[15][16]
• Rustum Ghazali (25 July 2012 – 24 April 2015)

• Head of Investigative branch: Brig. Gen. Makhmoud al-Khattib (2011).^[17]
• Head of Operations branch: Brig. Gen. Mohamed Heikmat Ibrahim (2011).^[17]

• Nasser Muhammad Al-Ali (24 April 2015–2017)
• Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun (2017–26 November 2018)^[18]
• Hossam Louka (26 November 2018–July 2019)^[18]
• Nasser Muhammad Al-Ali (July 2019–5 February 2021)^[19]
• Ghaith Shafeeq Deeb (5 February 2021–December 2024)

Regional Directors

• Rif Dimashq branch: Brig. Gen. Sameer al-Sheikh (1993–2005)^[20]
• Aleppo branch: Brig. Gen. Akram Ali Muhammad (2009–2013)^[21]
• Daraa branch: Brig. Gen. Atef Najib (2011), the European Union sanctioned him for "being responsible for the violence against protesters in Daraa during the Syrian uprising".^[22] He was replaced by Brig. Gen. Nasser Al-Ali.^[17]

Other Syrian intelligence agencies

• National Security Bureau
• General Intelligence Directorate
• Military Intelligence Directorate
• Air Force Intelligence Directorate

References

1. "تعيين الشرع رئيسا لسوريا في المرحلة الانتقالية". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 29 January 2025.
2. "Herzliya Conference Bashar's Syria" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
3. "Syria, Intelligence and Security". Espionageinfo. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
4. "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022.
5. Paul Todd; Jonathan Bloch (8 November 2003). Global Intelligence: The World's Secret Services Today. Zed Books. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-84277-113-6. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
6. "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022.
7. "Installing Major General Ghaith Shafiq Fayyad Deeb as Head of Political Security". Syria Today (in Arabic). 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021.
8. John Pike. "Syria Intelligence and Security Agencies". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
9. Robert G. Rabil Syria, the United States, and the war on terror in the Middle East Archived 18 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-275-99015-X p.214
10. Rathmell, Andrew (1996). "Syria's Intelligence Services: Origins and Development". The Journal of Conflict Studies. 16 (2). Retrieved 8 March 2013.
11. Worldwide, Keesings (2002). The Annual Register: A Record of World Events 2002 - Keesings Worldwide. ISBN 9781886994461. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
12. "A rather convenient suicide". The Economist. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
13. "Bahjat Suleiman Moved along with Other Security Chiefs". Syria Comment. 19 June 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
14. "Political security department". Cablegatesearch. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
15. Ahed Al Hendi (3 May 2011). "The Structure of Syria's Repression". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
16. "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
17. "By all means necessary" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
18. Jihad Yazigi (24 September 2019). "Who's Who: Major General Husam Muhammad Louka". The Syrian Observer. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
19. "Syria Regime Appoints Ghaith Shafiq Fayyad Head of Political Security". The Syrian Observer. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
20. Brigadier Sameer al-Sheikh from Idlib was serving in political security branch in Damascus countryside governorate circa 1993-2005
21. الأسد يصدر مرسومين بتعيين أربعة محافظين جدد
22. "Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011". EuroLex. 52011PC0887. 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2012.