Political Security Directorate

Political Security Directorate

إدارة الأمن السياسي Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi
Agency overview
Jurisdiction	Government of Syria
Headquarters	Damascus, Syria
Agency executive	Rustum Ghazali, Director

Political Security Directorate (Arabic: إدارة الأمن السياسي‎‎, Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi) is an intelligence service of Syria. It is active against the opposition. It runs detention centres. It is divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Department. It monitors political dissent and all media outlets, and registered parties are surveilled, too.

History and chiefs

From 1987 until the 1990s, it was headed by Adnan Badr Hassan, an Alawite from al-Mukharram near Homs. Ghazi Kanaan was its chief from 2002 to 2004. In 2004, Muhammad Manasra became its head. In 2011, its chief was Deeb Zaitoun, an Alawite.

Heads of Political Security Directorate

• Ahmad Sa'id Salih (past - 1987)
• Adnan Badr Hassan (1987–2002)
• Ghazi Kanaan (2002–2004)
• Muhammad Mansoura (2004–2009)
• Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (2009 – July 2012)
• Rustum Ghazali (July 2012 – April 2015)

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

Regional Heads of Political Security Directorate

• Daraa branch: Atef Najib (2011), the European Union sanctioned him for "being responsible for the violence against protesters in Daraa during the Syrian uprising". He was replaced by Brig. Gen. Nasser Al-Ali.

Other Syrian intelligence agencies

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