Dawoud Rajiha

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Dawoud Rajiha
Dawoud-Rajiha.jpeg
Minister of Defense
In office
8 August 2011 – 18 July 2012
President Bashar al-Assad
Prime Minister Adel Safar
Riyad Hijab
Deputy Assef Shawkat
Preceded by Ali Habib Mahmud
Succeeded by Fahd Jassem al-Freij
Chief of Army Staff
In office
3 June 2009 – 8 August 2011
President Bashar al-Assad
Minister Ali Habib Mahmud
Preceded by Ali Habib Mahmud
Succeeded by Fahd Jassem al-Freij
Personal details
Born Dawoud Abdallah Rajiha
1947
Damascus, Syria
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Damascus, Syria
Political party Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
Religion Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Military service
Allegiance  Syria
Service/branch Syrian Arab Army
Years of service 1967–2012
Rank Syria-Feriq Awal.jpg Colonel General
Unit 3rd Armoured Division, Artillery
Battles/wars Yom Kippur War
Islamic uprising in Syria
Syrian occupation of Lebanon
1982 Lebanon War
Gulf War
Syrian civil war

Dawoud Abdallah Rajiha (Arabic: داود راجحة‎‎‎; 1947 – 18 July 2012), forename sometimes transliterated Dawood or Daoud, surname sometimes transliterated Rajha, was the Syrian minister of defense from 2011 to July 2012 when he was assassinated along with other senior military officers by armed opposition forces during the country's Civil War. From 2009 to 2011, Rajiha served as chief of staff of the Syrian Army.

Early life

Rajiha, a Greek Orthodox, was born in Damascus in 1947.[1][2] A specialist in artillery, he graduated from Syria's military academy in 1967.[1]

Military education

Dawoud Abdallah Rajiha attended different courses and a higher military education:

  • Bachelor in Military Sciences, Field Artillery Officer, Syrian Military Academy
  • Staff Course
  • General Command and Staff Course
  • Higher Staff Course (War Course)

Career

Rajiha attained the rank of major general in 1998 and was appointed as the Syrian Army's deputy chief of staff six years later, in 2004.[3] In 2005, he received a promotion to the rank of general called Imad (a rank in the Syrian armed forces between major general and lieutenant general).[4] When Ali Habib Mahmud was named to head the ministry of defense in 2009, Rajiha was given the position of army chief of staff.[4] He held this position in 2011, when the Syrian civil war began. On 8 August 2011, he was chosen by President Bashar al-Assad to replace Mahmud as minister of defense.[1][2]

Rumored death

On 20 May 2012, the Damascus council of the Free Syrian Army, among the rebel organizations opposed to the Assad government, alleged that it had assassinated Rajiha and the seven other members of the government's military crisis unit. It was since proven that the allegations were false and were rebels propaganda. Members of the unit, including former minister of defense Hasan Turkmani, were shown on Syrian television to be alive, and the rebels later stated that only Rajiha's deputy, General Assef Shawkat, and a second official who was not named. Shawkat, the brother-in-law of President Assad, was later shown to have survived, as well.[5][6][7] In June 2012, the matter of Rajiha's alleged death was permanently resolved when it was confirmed that he remained Assad's defense minister in the newly formed cabinet.[8]

Personal life

Rajiha was married and had four children.[3]

Death and funeral

Almost two months after the date of his alleged death, Rajiha was assassinated in 18 July 2012 Damascus bombing at the Syrian National Security Building at Rawda Square, Damascus. Among the others killed in the bombing were Hasan Turkmani and Assef Shawkat.[9][10][11] Fahd Jassem al-Freij was named by President Assad as Rajiha's successor as minister of defense, while it was announced that Addounia TV would broadcast the minister's funeral. A state funeral was held for him, Hasan Turkmani and Assef Shawkat in Damascus on 20 July 2012. A religious ceremony for him took place in the Holy Cross church in Damascus.[12] Bashar al-Assad did not participate in the ceremony and was represented by vice president Farouk al-Sharaa.[13] A military ceremony was also held for him and other two senior officials, Hassan Turkmani and Assef Shawkat, in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Mount Qasioun, overlooking Damascus.[13]

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Military offices
Preceded by Deputy Chief of Staff of Army
2004–2009		 Succeeded by
Assef Shawkat
Preceded by Chief of Staff of Army
2009–2011		 Succeeded by
Fahd Jassem al-Freij
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Defense
2011–2012		 Succeeded by
Fahd Jassem al-Freij
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