Ali Duba
Encyclopedia
Ali Duba (b. Qirfays, 1933) is a former head of the Syria
n military intelligence and was a close adviser to the Syrian president Hafez al-Assad
. The military intelligence under Ali Duba was the single most important security agency in Syria, handling security within the army, but also dealing with the general safeguarding of the regime.
tribe of Matawira, in the village of Qirfays in the district of Jableh south of Latakia
. He joined the Baath Party
in the early 1950s while studying the Holy Land Secondary School in Latakia.
in 1955 and became the deputy head of internal security in Damascus
five years later. He served as military attaché
at the Syrian embassy in Great Britain
between 1964 and 1966, and in Bulgaria
between 1967 and 1968. He returned to Syria and became the head of military intelligence for the Latakia region. In November 1970, he was appointed the head of military intelligence for the city of Damascus, where he supported Hafez al-Assad's coup d'état
. In 1971, he was made deputy to the head of military intelligence, Hikmat al-Shihabi
. Three years later he was made head of this department. He was elected to the central committee of the Baath Party in 1978, and promoted to general in 1981. Duba took part in suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood
revolt in Hama
during February 1982. In December 1983, when President Hafez al-Assad was ill, Duba was a member of the committee responsible for governing the state in the interim. In 1985, the Syrian president put him in charge of the Lebanon dossier, along with al-Shihabi and Ghazi Kanaan
. Duba was promoted to lieutenant general
and appointed deputy chief of the General Staff in January 1993, in addition to his role as head of the military intelligence. In 1999 he was pushed aside by Bashar al-Assad
over fears that he could be a rival for the presidency, and was made to retire in February 2000. He is currently living in Paris.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n military intelligence and was a close adviser to the Syrian president Hafez al-Assad
Hafez al-Assad
Hafez ibn 'Ali ibn Sulayman al-Assad or more commonly Hafez al-Assad was the President of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule consolidated the power of the central government after decades of coups and counter-coups, such as Operation Wappen in 1957 conducted by the Eisenhower administration and...
. The military intelligence under Ali Duba was the single most important security agency in Syria, handling security within the army, but also dealing with the general safeguarding of the regime.
Early life
Ali Douba was born to a small landowning family from the AlawiteAlawite
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
tribe of Matawira, in the village of Qirfays in the district of Jableh south of Latakia
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
. He joined the Baath Party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
in the early 1950s while studying the Holy Land Secondary School in Latakia.
Career
Ali Duba joined the Syrian ArmySyrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
in 1955 and became the deputy head of internal security in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
five years later. He served as military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the Syrian embassy in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
between 1964 and 1966, and in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
between 1967 and 1968. He returned to Syria and became the head of military intelligence for the Latakia region. In November 1970, he was appointed the head of military intelligence for the city of Damascus, where he supported Hafez al-Assad's coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. In 1971, he was made deputy to the head of military intelligence, Hikmat al-Shihabi
Hikmat al-Shihabi
Hekmat AlShehabi is a former Syrian career military officer who served as the chief of staff of the Syrian Army between 1974–1998.-Career:...
. Three years later he was made head of this department. He was elected to the central committee of the Baath Party in 1978, and promoted to general in 1981. Duba took part in suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
revolt in Hama
Hama massacre
The Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
during February 1982. In December 1983, when President Hafez al-Assad was ill, Duba was a member of the committee responsible for governing the state in the interim. In 1985, the Syrian president put him in charge of the Lebanon dossier, along with al-Shihabi and Ghazi Kanaan
Ghazi Kanaan
Ghazi Kanaan was Syria's Interior Minister from 2004 to 2005, and long-time head of Syria's security apparatus in Lebanon...
. Duba was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and appointed deputy chief of the General Staff in January 1993, in addition to his role as head of the military intelligence. In 1999 he was pushed aside by Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
over fears that he could be a rival for the presidency, and was made to retire in February 2000. He is currently living in Paris.