Document: Retired Generals received Weapons From Interior Ministry

Reporting by George Hadad; Translation by Dani Murad

Leaked Documents unveil some of the mysteries of arms delivery to entities outside regime’s Ministry of Interior.

Despite regime’s deep crisis in providing arms and ammunition for many police units in the Syrian governorates, yet it is very keen to grant other entities and figures unrelated to the Ministry what they request of weapons.

And according to official documents obtained by Zaman Al Wasl , regime’s ministry of interior has dealt with some armament requests from entities not affiliated with the ministry, including the representation of the Russian company, "Ross Aboron Export" in Damascus, and former chief of the “popular army” Ibrahim al-Ali.

In a document dated on 11/10/2011, and in response to an incoming letter from Damascus Police Dep, the Directorate of Administrative Affairs refused to give a Russian machine gun to the Vice President of the Parliament, Dr. Hassan Fahmi, and also refused to give two pistols to the driver and bodyguard of the Parliament President.

The directorate attributed its refusal to the permanent order No. / 564/ 1986, which states specifically that automatic rifles and pistols are limited to units of the Internal Security Forces and their employees, and explained: “We do not have any provision that authorizes giving arms to any person, except for Internal security forces.

However, a later letter issued from the same department approved to grant a retired brigade a Russian rifle with ammunition, without mentioning any legal document which allows this action .

In the letter which dated on 6/6/2012, and directed to Minster of Interior, the Director of Internal Affairs says that “he received a request from the retired Major General “Ibrahim Ali” asking for a Russian machine gun with two magazine belts and 60 shots, and clarified that the available are automatic Chinese machine guns / 7, 62 / mm, pointing out that the General ‘request can be met if it is combined with the approval of the Minister of Interior.

Al-Ali, who is considered the closest to former president Hafez al-Assad, and among the pillars and supports of the Assad’s regime, remained a leader of the " Popular Army " from 1963 to 2005, until Bashar Al Assad discharged him from his position due to his statements in which he called to resolve the national leadership of Al Baath Party, stressing that this leadership was no longer effective.

Known for his extreme loyalty to Hafez al-Assad, Major General Ali stood beside the latter when a big crisis erupted between Hafez and his younger brother Rifaat ; led to a sharp division in regime’s army , and the emergence of military confrontations between units and formation that supported each brother.

In a related context, another official document dated on 30/1/2013 and signed by the director of administrative Affairs in the ministry confirmed its approval to give “light weapons” to the staff of "Ross Aboron Export" company in Damascus.

The letter which was a reply to a fax sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting weapons to the staff of, "Ross Aburon Export”, said that the available are automatic Chinese rifles, Maikarov pistols, and hoped to refer the matter to the General branch to send their Secretary of armory with a representative of the Russian company to the central armory and receive what they requested.