SYRIA NEWS | ZAMAN ALWSL https://en.zamanalwsl.net// Syria leading news site delivering fast, in-depth coverage of the events shaping the war-torn country. https://www.zamanalwsl.net/ https://en.zamanalwsl.net Founded in Homs, 2005 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:33:05 +0300 ar-sy hourly 1 https://en.zamanalwsl.net// <![CDATA[Portugal chooses a president amid a severe pandemic surge]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/61005 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/61005 Sun, 24 Jan 2021 15:16:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/61005 LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal held a presidential election Sunday, with the moderate incumbent candidate strongly favored to earn a second five-year term as a devastating COVID-19 surge grips the European Union nation.
The head of state in Portugal has no legislative powers, which lie with parliament and the government, but is an influential voice in the running of the country.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, 72, is regarded as the clear front-runner among seven candidates. He is an affable law professor and former television personality who as president has consistently had an approval rating of 60% or more.
To win, a candidate must capture more than 50% of the vote. But a severe surge in coronavirus infections in recent days could keep the turnout low and perhaps lead to a Feb. 14 runoff between the two top candidates.
Portugal has the world’s highest rates of new daily infections and deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, and the public health system is under huge strain.
Authorities have increased the number of polling stations and allowed for early voting to reduce crowding on election day. In other precautions, voters were asked to bring their own pens and disinfectant to polling stations. Everyone voting wore a mask and kept a safe distance from each other.
Prime Minister António Costa, in a tweet, urged people to turn out for the ballot, saying that “unprecedented planning” had gone into ensuring that the vote can take place safely.
With the country in lockdown, the election campaign featured none of the usual flag-waving rallies but restrictions on movement were lifted for polling day.
Among the incumbent’s six challengers, right-wing populist André Ventura has attracted curiosity as the first extremist to break into Portuguese mainstream politics. Ventura, 37, could conceivably place second, likely far behind Rebelo de Sousa but drawing a level of support that until recently was unthinkable. That development has unsettled national politics.
Rebelo de Sousa, a former leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party, has worked closely with the center-left minority Socialist government, supporting its pandemic efforts. He also has endeared himself to the Portuguese with his easygoing style. Photographs taken by passers-by of him in public places, such as one last year of him standing in line at a supermarket wearing sneakers and shorts, routinely go viral.
Portugal has 10.8 million registered voters, some 1.5 million of them living abroad. Exit polls were to be published Sunday night, with most results expected by midnight.
Every Portuguese president since 1976, when universal suffrage was introduced following the departure of a dictatorship, has been returned for a second term. No woman or member of an ethnic minority has ever held the post.
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/61005 0 <![CDATA[Syrians fought in Iraq were under Intelligence scope: documents]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44380 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44380 Wed, 29 May 2019 15:00:24 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44380
(Zaman Al Wasl)- An 'confidential and immediate' document issued by to the Syrian intelligence revealed how Bashar al-Assad's regime was tracking the Syrian jihadists who fought in Iraq during the American invasion in 2003.

 The document issued on June 29, 2016, shed the light on movements of the Syrian jihadists who went to Iraq. It proves and confirms that the regime intelligence was aware of all details about this file and the people involved in it and did not nothing to stop them.

The documents come as part of a series of intelligence documents obtained Zaman al-Wasl.

The regime turned a blind eye to their actions and perhaps facilitated the movements content with observing them and gathering information about them perhaps for liquidation or detention later on in the event they survive the fighting in Iraq. Perhaps the regime wanted to trade their file to open up channels of communication and conduct trade-offs with major countries with the United States at the head of the list. The United States which repeatedly accused the regime of supporting and facilitating the passage of fighters to Iraq whereas the regime denied the issue.

The document reveals with glory and conscious phrases that cannot be paraphrased that the regime intelligence was dedicatedly following the files of those it calls, “Syrian persons who left the Syrian territory to fight in Iraq against the American forces.” It focused in particular on those belonging to “religious groups and tariqa.”


It is interesting that the document came as a response to a prior document where the Idlib intelligence branch office lists the names of those from province involved in the fighting in Idlib, meaning the regime knew about them, and all that was required by the head of Palestine intelligence branch was to determine their membership in a religious tariqa nothing more.

The document from the head of 235 branch (Palestine Branch) to the Idlib's intelligence branch asks the other to follow up on the file of those involved in the fighting in Iraq and draw up lists of the names of offshoot that they belong to without any indication that there is a need to follow them, question them or arrest them. The document reaffirms the view that the regime supports the file and that the regime used Syrians eager to defend Iraq as a card to pressure the United States at the start and as a card to compromise with the United States at the end. Between the beginning and the end was the part of those involved in the fighting being used as gas in the process to polish up and present al-Assad as “a fighter steady fast against extremism and terrorism” especially before the Americans and as “a fundamental support for the resistance and jihad against the Americans” before the people of the areas especially Syrians and Iraqis.


-Countering and Sponsoring-

The document being issued from Palestine branch gives other evidence and meaning about the depth of the document, it reveals that this branch in particular was not concerned with fighting terrorism and extremism, except when those posed a threat to the regime. Regarding what benefits the al-Assad regime, supports it position, and can be thrown into others’ faces as reaping benefits it is terrorism and extremism that is taken care of, disciplined and under the observation of the regime intelligence.

The document reiterates a reminder about a document leaked by WikiLeaks and translated by Zaman al-Wasl going back to 24-02-2010 concerning an American delegation meaning with the Syrian deputy minister of foreign affairs which was attended by Ali Mamlouk, Head of the National Security Office who was then the general Director of the State Intelligence.

The American embassy in Damascus indicated in that telegram what Mamlouk described as, “30 years of Syrian experience in fighting terrorist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood,” proud that the regime intelligence had been more successful than its American counterpart, “because we are practical, we are not theoretical,” according to him.

“Mamlouk suggested that his intelligence succeed because they managed to infiltrate terrorist groups.” He clarified, “in principle we do not purposefully attack them or kill them immediately, but we plant our agents within them and then move at the ideal moment.”

Mamlouk described planting agents as a complicated operation indicating that it led to the arrest of tens of terrorists and prevent hundreds of terrorists from entering Iraq. He continued, in all ways we will continue this work, but if we begin cooperating with Washington we will achieve better results and we will be able to better protect our interests.

Mamlouk repeated the mention about the intelligence’s ability and the wealth of information that the intelligence possesses based on their infiltration of terrorist organizations to summarize with, “we have plenty of experience, we know these groups, this is our area and we know it, and because we must also take the helm in these things.” He meant the regime should take the helm in any intelligence cooperation between Damascus and Washington.

During his meeting with the two Americans, Mamlouk claimed that foreign fighters are sneaking into Iraq, coming from Arab and Muslim countries and that Syria arrested “a large number of them in addition to the Syrians who are facilitating their tasks.”

All of the documents aforementioned connect in some way with a secret telegram dated on August 25, 2007 where the American embassy in Damascus raises a detailed report about the visit of Nouri al-Maliki, the former Iraqi Prime Minister, to Damascus and his meetings with Bashar al-Assad and  number of regime officials.

 The telegram reports that Bashar told al-Maliki during their meeting that major threat for both Iraqis and Syrians in extremism and despite the increase in the number of extremists they do not exceed the thousands, “which makes them within the boundaries of our intelligence apparatuses able to discipline them and control them.”

]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44380 0 <![CDATA[Assad intelligence 'so pragmatic' with religious community: document]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44353 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44353 Tue, 28 May 2019 15:31:44 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44353  By Ethar Abdulhaq

(Zaman al-Wasl)- An intelligence document obtained by Zaman al-Wasl has shed further light on how the Syrian regime is monitoring religious movements and clergy where all their activities are under scrutiny and control.

The intelligence document, dated February 2007, presented the proceedings of a regular meeting that included high-ranking officers from Branch 271 (Military Intelligence - Idlib Branch), led by Brig. Gen Ahmed Fares and his deputy, Brig Gen Nofal Al-Hussein.

The political, military and security issues were reviewed but the religious issue had taken the lion's share of the meeting.

They have discussed all issues related to Islamic movements,  classifications and orientations, as well the activities of Christian clerics were on the table.

According to the document, all religious movement were subject to scrutiny, with an emphasis on the need to monitor Friday sermons, Quran memorization centers, as well as any jihadist or religious tendencies.

Among the recommendations that the meeting concluded were following up the activities of religious movements and submitting regular reports, opening dialogue channels in an attempt to infiltrate their ranks through a network of intelligence agents and informats.

With regard to the security situation, the document called for the need to recruit as many informants as possible from all the different political and religious movements to work with the security services.





The document sheds light on the Syrian regime’s policy towards all religious organizations and movements in terms of monitoring, attempting to control, categorizing and penetrating. Each of these four faces has its tools, and each of them has its consequences, part of which was revealed after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2011.

 Syrian intelligence works largely to track down, monitor and infiltrate religious circles, especially the Sunni sect, but the intelligence has other tasks, as clarified by the February 2007 document, which called for monitoring the activities of Christian clerics.

The content of the document is somewhat similar to the contents of two WikiLeaks documents.

The first dates back to 2010, and revealed the meeting of an American delegation with the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, attended by the Director of General Intelligence (at the time) Ali Mamlouk, and the second dated August 2007, revealing a conversation that took place between the Iraqi Prime Minister (then) “Nuri al-Maliki and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.” .

In the first WikiLeaks document, Mamlouk boasts to US officials of the Syrian regime's 30-year experience in combating extremist groups, stressing that the regime did not try to attack or kill them, but rather tried to plant intelligence agents within their ranks in order to pounce on them at the right moment.

In the second document, al-Assad told al-Maliki during one of his visit to Damascus that extremism is the main danger to Iraq and Syria and that despite the increase in the number of extremists, they are still under the eyes of the security services, which are able to control and control them.


]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/44353 0 <![CDATA[New details over 'Mezzah Slaughterhouse', place of atrocious mass torture photos]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/42441 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/42441 Thu, 21 Mar 2019 10:03:44 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/42441 (Zaman Al Wasl)- A new testimony by an army defector who served in the 601 military hospital where the atrocious photos of mass torture by Syrian security had been taken (between 2012-2013) in a well-known military hospital in Mezzah neighbourhood of Damascus.  
 
 
The former army soldier has provided Zaman al-Wasl with the name list of the workers in 601 hospital that located few hundred meters from Bashar al-Assad’s Presidential Palace in Damascus.
 
 
The list includes  names most of participating in the liquidation of detainees and hiding the features of the regime's crimes. He also provided our newspaper with a simplified outline showing the locations of the buildings of the Hospital.
  
In April 2011, the hospital has been turned into a center for torture and slaughtering similar to the regime's intelligence branches where about 6,000 bodies were transferred out of the hospital in 21 months.
 
The morgue truck used to come out of the door of dignitaries heading to the presidential palace
  
According to the source, most of the detainees who were tortured to death in 601 hospital, and not at the security branches. Therefore, Mazza military hospital can be described as an independent and self-governed death production line.


Hospital 601 was the photographing scene of Bashar al-Assad’s war crimes  where the leaked photos in 2015 showed hundreds of lifeless bodies with signs of starvation, brutal beatings, strangulation and other forms of torture and killing.

 
The death squad was established under the supervision of a group of officers and doctors led by the director of the hospital, Brig. Gen. Ghassan Haddad, the security officer, Brig. Gen. Taha al-Asaad and the administration officer  Colonel Shadi Zoudah who replaced Colonel Hussein Mlouk.
 
The soldiers in the hospital were forced almost every week to meet the order of the officer to "load" a total of 70 bodies of the detainees’ corpses appeared to be more frightening than any one could imagine. This has caused a good number of these agents to split out early from the hospital to refrain from participating in such heinous crimes, despite the difficulty of dissent and its high risks.
 
The source revealed for the first time, the first military victim sentenced to death for trying to break away from the slaughterhouse, saying: "There was a soldier named Ziad Ali from Deir al-Zour, who tried to defect early from the regime army, but the informants were alerted about him. They had arrested him for four days, and on the fifth day, he was brought to the hospital a dead body. We all saw our colleague Ziad in that terrible state. The security services carried kid the soldier to scare fellow servicemen and deter them from defecting. But after about a week, five soldiers were able to escape the terrible fate of our colleague Ziad
 
 
In mid 2013, a team of war crimes prosecutors and forensic experts, had analyzed 55 thousand digital photos taken and provided by a Syrian defector codenamed "Caesar," who, along with his family, is now living outside Syria in an undisclosed location, according to CNN.
 
  
Most of the military servicemen in the hospital were Sunnis, the largest denomination of Islam, while no ‘Alawites’ soldiers, just the officers were Alawites, Bashar al-Assad's sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam, the source said.
   
The means of disposing pro-revolution soldiers were not limited to handing them over to the intelligence services but also to send them to battlefronts at the demand of the hospital's security officer Taha al-Asaad. They were not qualified and had no combat experience.
  
 
 
 









 
The source provided Zaman al-Wasl with a list includes names of 37 officers in 601 hospital, detailing their specialties, ranks and positions. Also those who have had a role in crimes against the detainees.
  
General Ghassan Haddad, the hospital director, then the former administrative officer Hussein Mlouk", his successor Col. Shadi Zouda, and the security officer Taha al-Asaad who famed for his brutality and sectarian fanaticism.
 
Al-Asaad did not likely need to leave his office in order to "control security". He has a full army of aides and spies who help him perform his dirty crimes, including: Mohamed Dayoub, Ahmed Khaddour, Mahmoud Zahwa, Rami Hammoud, Ali Barazi and Hussam Mousa.
 
About the nature of his "work" at the hospital, the dissident source said that he was contributing with other recruits to "loading" the bodies of the detainees from the yard of "Rahba" to the truck that carries them outside the hospital, stressing that the average number of about 70 bodies per week, and if we multiply this number to The number of weeks that the source served before his splitting (84 weeks) will show us that he and other enlisted soldiers carried about 5,900 bodies. A figure confirmed by the source to be the closest to the reality he witnessed and which he was part of.
 
About the route of the trucks carrying the bodies, the source explained that they enter from the main door empty, then to “Rahba” and after about two hours, they leave with loads of bodies, but the exit from the door of dignitaries (a door overlooking the road of the People's Palace and dedicated to the entry of senior hospital officers and senior officials, from which enters Asma Assad and her husband Bashar).
 
The first to start the splitting from the army was a recruit from Deir al-Zour, and so was his destiny
 
About the destination of the trucks after exiting the hospital, the source stated that it was to the hospital "Harasta", where it is said that there are crematoria to transform the bodies to ashes, and here we intervene to ask the source whether the destination is already the hospital of Harasta or Tishreen Hospital, because we have confirmed information about the existence of a crematorium at Tishreen Hospital. However the source confirmed that the destination of the bodies was Harasta military hospital indeed. (only a few kilometers between the Harasta hospital and Tishreen hospital).
 
About the type of these trucks and their timing, according to the source, the trucks often came either at noon or after eight p.m. They were not of one type, but they all came with security escorts, and the driver left them immediately after stopping at al-Rahba for "loading". He comes back only to start again, so it was impossible and even forbidden to talk to him or to ask him about any thing, because that was enough to put the person in the circle of suspicion and targeting.


 
A bout the way of loading the corpse, the source said that a group of soldiers used to climb into the truck's box (often covered with shader) to receive and to arrange the bodies. The improper arrangement of the bodies meant that the truck would not be accommodated, which would lead to recharging, that costs a lot of time, effort and fatigue associated with the smell and ugly corpse views.
 
"Abu Suleiman" presented his innocence excuse in the murder of a recruiter named "Khubat" saying that he killed him because he insulted the higher authorities and won the patent.
 
That’s why some soldiers did not care how to carry the body to the truck or how to throw it, because they only want to finish their mission that represents a nightmare for him and a burden on him. In contrast there were those who find in this mission a "hobby" during which they exercise their sadism, including the recruiter "Ali Brazi ", Who did not care for the sanctity of death and did abuse the dead bodies.
 
The loading of the bodies is done in the presence of the administrative officer (Mlouk and then Zouda), the management officer is the owner of the register of names of those who have been liquidated, and he is the only authorized to match their names, with the numbers on the bodies of the victims (numbering the victims without giving them names, provided the system with several benefits Including the full concealment of the identity of the victim, so that no one can identify the body's owner by name, with the difficulty of identifying the body through its features because the body is often distorted and highly disfigured, and the numbering prevented any opportunity to change the name of a living person by the name of the dead, with the aim of extricating the living person either out of close knowledge or taking bribes, for example).

 
-Hospital Structure-

 
When asked about the structure of the 601 military hospital and its facilities, the source stated that the hospital includes a number of buildings located within one area, under one name, "the Martyr Hospital, Yusuf al-Azma
 
After entering the main door, To the right stands the clinic building. To the left is a 6 floors building. The ground floor includes sections of the ambulance, the laboratory and the restaurant. The first floor includes: the hospital director's office, radiology department, Head of Nursing. The second floor contains: Department of Operations, intensive care, pharmacy and sterilization. The third floor contains the two departments of ophthalmology,and orthopedics. These two sections were transferred to another building after being transformed into a full wing reserved for the Assad’s wife, Asma al-Assad.
 
The fourth floor consists of the otorhinolaryngology and general surgery sections. The Cardio and Neuro section is located on the last floor of the building, which connects to another building which is nearer to the People's Palace road, composed of 5 floors, through an underground tunnel of 75 meters and about 2 meters width, made specially to refrigerate and transfer the dead bodies.
 
At the heart there is the hospital’s "old building" which includes both: Office of the Security Officer, Office of the Administrative Officer, Department store, Register Department, and the Finance Department.
 
Near the "old building" there is a so-called "Nadwa" where food and drinks are sold, and near what is called the "garden".
 
At the far left of the place are the soldiers dormitories and the hospital warehouses, and in the vicinity of them are the "trauma section". Then the kerosene (fuel station) and the machinery section, and finally the garage (which has been converted to a place to dump the bodies and packaging them before deportation).
 
• Seventy corpse were deported every week, making the hospital an active "production line" equivalent  the “production” of the entire intelligence branch
 
In all these sections and buildings, military personnel (officers, warrant officers and soldiers) and civilians, who have different types of their participation in the murder and the torture. The main headquarters is the "trauma section", which has become a formal abattoir and a "death line".
 
The intelligence’s choice for the trauma department was not futile. It is a "secluded" section located at the far end of the hospital, far from the eyes and ears of those who visit it. It is also a non-large section, as it is limited to only 5 rooms. The departement was "very typical" in its isolation and narrowness to be a center of torture and murder

 
On this occasion, the source remembers that, in 2012, a team from the United Nations tried to visit the hospital and tour it, to check the credibility of the rumours raised around it. So the regime’s intelligence fabricated an incitement scene, that showed the "civilians" resentment and rejection of the U.N. delegation, condemning them. So the delegation left under the pressure of the “Dissatisfaction and popular discontent” without being able to enter and inspect the hospital departments.


 
Despite the existence of a sufficient number of Shabiha militias who are ethnically recruited and politically motivated to practice the most severe forms of violations and abuse against the detainees, who were called by the regime "terrorists", the regime's intelligence did not entirely count on them. Instead, they appointed guards and supervisors from their intelligence agents, who, when necessary, they call for the help of the hospital staff.
 
Since the hospital has been transferred to a prison and a killing center, approaching the trauma department has been forbidden to the hospital’s staff, only in case to be close to carrying out a "mission", such as "loading" the bodies. It is an unforgivable crime, that any recruit attempts to enter the building, or to survey what is going on in it, because his fate at the time will not be better than the fate of "carried" bodies.
 
Our source asserts that he was never able to enter the trauma section, but he heard the screams of torture (some of it was unbearably terrible) when he was passing by, or when it was night time, when the movements and sounds could be heard remotely.
 
Although the entry of the trauma department was forbidden only to the intelligence agents and those who trusted them, the "criminals" had nothing to hide or fear from. The source stated that the bodies of those who had been killed were displayed in front of the building (to be seen by everyone passing through the hospital staff) ) before being transferred to Rahba. He personally does not forget the image of the body of girl in black (martyr Rehab Allawi, whom Zaman Al-Wasl had previously identified her), it was the harshest picture stuck in his imagination, despite all the horror he witnessed.
 
Asked whether the source had examined the body of any other woman, he replied no, stressing that he had repeatedly seen the bodies of children who speculated that some of them were between the ages of 14 and 15.
 
Most of the recruits soldiers are Sunnis, only the fifth of their original number remained, while four-fifths have been killed or splitted.
 
In addition, the source was asked whether the bodies of the murdered in the trauma section were directly loaded from the hospital , other than the bodies that came from the security branches. To our surprise, the source replied that the majority of the bodies were discharged from the trauma section and that only few bodies came from the security branches.
 
At this point we intervened, to ask two questions: If the average bodies that are loaded weekly 70 bodies, does the trauma department used to contain 60 bodies? He replied: Yes it is, Our hospital used to be equivalent to the intelligence branch in its entirety!





Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court. The only way the court could prosecute someone from Syria would be through a referral from the United Nations Security Council.

More than 560,000 people have been killed in Syria since the revolt against Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011, the United Nations says.  


 
More details provided by the source:

 
• We all saw and came across the photographer, who was photographing the corpse, but we could not talk to him or approach him.
 
• Officer 'Mohsen' used to go from the vehicles Department to the trauma Department only to pass by the detainees and curse them.
 
• Mahmoud Zahwa, Ahmed Khaddour, Yarab Esber and Hakim Khatib were among those accompanying the intelligence agents in the trauma department.
 
• Officer Rami Hammoud head of the maintenance department was one of the most dedicated of the shabiha militia, as well as Officer Mohamed Diab.
 
• After the hospital was turned into a slaughterhouse, the task of guarding it was entrusted to heavily armed Republican Guards, accompanied by hospital recruits carrying guns without ammunition.
 
• After the outbreak of the revolution, the recruits' permits in the hospital have stopped and became rare and exceptional.
 
• More than one soldier had defected the army, under the pretext of participating in a funeral ceremony for one of his relatives. Therefore, since then granting permission to participate in the funeral requires the presentation of an official death certificate.
 
• Despite the decrease in the number of recruits due to the split or the transfer to the fronts, they were not compensated because the regime's army was suffering from a severe shortage and needed to close the gaps on the fronts.
 
  

]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/42441 0 <![CDATA[Intelligence doc shows how even people's breath is counted]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/40046 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/40046 Fri, 11 Jan 2019 15:15:22 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/40046  (Zaman Al Wasl)- َLeaked intelligence documents obtained by Zaman al-Wasl showed that the Syrian officials and workers in sensitive positions were under a very tight scrutiny as the data collected about them includes even the silly details about their close life and inner circle.

The Syrian security services know what the person does not know about himself, an intelligence source told Zaman al-Wasl.

They know your close and far friends, tendencies, new and old phone numbers that you have forgotten, the content of the calls, the price of your home or the rent you are paying, the salary and compensation, the places you moved to, the average people you met once outside the country, the source said.
 
The 7-page booklet includes several sheets, starting with the personal identity, personal status, health status, current housing, work, educational level, qualifications, parties and organizations to which the employee belongs, places of travel, legal status, transactions, relationships, friends and acquaintances, family and relatives, and a summary of each person's life.
 
A file belonging to a 3-month-old female employee at the Atomic Energy Commission submits a high level of scrutiny to the point of violating the privacy of her life and the life of her family.


 
The identity of the father and mother, the national number, the personal status register, the original and acquired nationality, and other details are mentioned in the personal identity card. However, this does not stop at this point, where personal character and character, And religious commitment, as the document mentions that the employee "go to the church on Sunday," but does not deal with "alcohol and drugs," The margin of the enclosure in this box questions about whether the person suffers a psychological contract or that he lies, or that it is introverted or social, Whether he likes chatter, as well as his personal ambitions and hobbies.

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl obtained the regime's intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

Another document picks up information about someone who says he performs the prayers (prayer), but he drank alcohol before but does not hesitate to the bars.

 The details go so far as to determine the price of the house or rent if rented, and its location is classified as a "sensitive security zone" or a regulatory area.

The document also specifies the new place of work for those who left the Commission, the details of the job, the size of the monthly wage, and the transfer to indicate party affiliation, tendencies towards opposition or support, party parties and political figures to which they tend.

 It is interesting to note that the intelligence services of the regime not only record the destinations to which the person traveled, but also whether they have intentions to travel abroad or to travel to embassies, and what country they intend to travel to. The duration of travel and its purposes, and the accompanying persons. One of the items analyzed indicates that the owner intends to travel to an Arab country that has been identified by name.




]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/40046 0 <![CDATA[UAE, Assad regime 'always' at high Intelligence coordination: leaked archive]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39710 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39710 Fri, 28 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39710

(Zaman Al Wasl)- As analysts see the reopening of the UAE’s embassy in Damascus as a diplomatic boost for Bashar al-Assad from a regional adversary, the leaked Intelligence archive, obtained by Zaman al-Wasl, shows deep coordination at high levels where relations have never been cut.

A look at the wanted Emiratis for the Assad regime, would help notice an overlapping three facts. First, the number of the wanted Emiratis are less than any other nationalities, especially when compared to the rest of the Gulf countries. 

Second, the names of those wanted by Assad’s regime match those wanted by the governors of the UAE. Third, the issuing of several warrants by the Syrian regime coincided with the issuing of the same warrants by Emiratis regime; suggesting that the list of wanted Emirati by Assad's intelligence is only a copy sent by UAE intelligence, or vice versa.

The United Arab Emirates' share of the Intelligence warrants is suspended at 187 warrant, which makes the UAE’s share the smallest relatively to its population. Whereas Kuwait, which has a population of only one-third of the UAE, has about 680 warrants against its citizens. Also, Bahrain, who has a population of about one-tenth of the UAE, has 122 warrants against its citizen.

Of the 187 warrant against the Emiratis, 51 were arrest warrants, one of which was targeting Colonel Mohammed Ahmed Al-Abdouli, who fought fierce battles in the ranks of the rebels against Bashar’s regime, and he had - considering his military experience -an active participation in the liberation of large areas, who died in March 2013, during the battle of the Liberation of Raqqa.

In 2015, the UAE authorities arrested the two daughters of Al-Abdouli and one of his sons (an officer who was discharged from the army). This caused a widespread resentment, especially that the arrest of the late man's daughters came as a kidnapping and crossed the red lines of society that refuses to involve women in such cases.

shortly after, the authorities have arrested the eldest son of Al-Abdouli, to join his brother and his sisters, reaffirming that the arrest of relatives, is a legitimate behavior for the UAE security services, repeated on more than one case, similar devices used by the intelligence of Assad.

 In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

Among the Emiratis listed in the regime's intelligence records, is the name of Issa Khalifa al-Suwaidi, a well-known academic who was the regional director of the Abu Dhabi Educational services. The UAE authorities arrested him and then arrested his three sisters for demanding his release. Al Suwaidi is a member of the "Opinion Detainees" and is considered one of the UAE's top educators in the field of educational development.

Among those singled out by Assad's intelligence are the Emirati citizen Sultan Kayed al-Qassimi, who heads a reformist association, which has brought him into detention by the UAE authorities, along with tens of others like him.

Al-Qassimi, who comes from the veteran tribal family that lead two emirates in UAE, is an academic who founded and headed the University of Al Etihad. He is described by some as the "Sheikh of the Opinion Detainees" in the UAE and has been a detainee for five years.
 


 Not a coincidence


It is interesting to see Emirati women in Assad's intelligence records, Zaman Al-Wasl pointed out that most, if not all, of whom the UAE issued sentences in 2013 accused them of belonging to a "secret organization" … They were listed on the Assad’s intelligence lists, and in the same year.
 
In the summer of 2013, the UAE authorities sentenced dozens of citizens to various prison terms, including 15 years for 8 defendants, 10 years followed by 3 years of monitoring for 56 detainees and, 7 years for 5 other detainees, all accused of belonging to a "secret organization" sentenced to 69 detainees, all of them were listed in full name on Assad’s lists!

The Syrian intelligence rushed in the same year, to comply with these provisions and issue warrants for the 69 detainees in the UAE. This complete congruity and time-coherence between the Syrian regime’s lists and the Emiratis’ regime lists, raise questions about the cooperation between the intelligence services of both countries, despite the public disruption of relations.

To resolve this mystery, we must have a look at the 94 cases issued in 2013, the same year as the trial of UAE activists, and 94 is the same number pointed by the regime’s media in the case of their trial, where the case was called the "94 cell" case!

If we remove the names of the 94 listed on the Assad lists in 2013, we will have less than half of the total number of warrants (93 warrant of 187). This also holds another indication that most of the ones who evokes the rage of the Assad’ regime, the same ones who evoke the rage of the Emiratis’ regime.

According to Human Rights Watch, "The location of 64 of these detainees (who have links to the Peaceful Islamic Reform Group) is still unknown, which opens the way for fear for their safety." Among the UAE detainees are two prominent human rights lawyers. Human Rights Watch has documented how the lawyers used by the only UAE law firm that provided legal aid to detainees were arrested and how some were deported and intimidated.

This is a long list of names that the UAE authorities sentenced in mid-2013, which are identical to the Assad’s lists, which was issued the same year. Zaman al-Wasl keeps records of these lists in addition to the other names of the “wanted” by the Syrian regime.


]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39710 0 <![CDATA[ Despite reconciliation in Ghouta, hundreds still wanted for Assad regime: list ]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39286 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39286 Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:30:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39286  (Zaman Al Wasl)- Zaman Al Wasl obtained name list  includes hundreds of wanted men in Eastern Ghouta suburbs to the Syrian regime to be enrolled in the military service.

Check the list

Last April, Russia has brokered a humiliating reconciliation deal where thousands of the eastern enclave of Damascus had been evacuated and who decided to stay were granted six months time limit to do their mandatory service. 

The General Conscription Department has sent 3000 calls for young men to perform the military service.

Most of the Syrian young men in the capital's eastern suburbs have rejected the regime’s conscription call but the reconciliation deals have imposed a new de-facto. They should join the army or they might face the military intelligence arrest.

Bashar al-Assad urged all Syrians, including the Druze minority, to send its young men to the army.

The regime is trying to attract more young men who are outside Syria by enacting laws and regulations that encourage them to return back home, and then enroll them in mandatory and reserve services.

Last week, the regime intelligence launched a wide-scale arrest campaign in Ghouta suburbs, trucking former rebel fighters. 

The notorious Air Force Intelligence has arrested former fighters in Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman rebel groups.

The fall of Eastern Ghouta last April was achieved in a brutal fashion and had changed the course of the war.

More than 1,700 civilians were reportedly killed in the eight-week offensive.

The Eastern Ghouta was the scene of the first major protests in the capital against the rule of Bashar al-Assad.

The Alawites-dominated areas are still the main manpower supply for the Assad's regime. 

More than 125,000 pro-regime forces have been killed in seven years of brutal war, according to local monitoring groups.


 Rape in Ghouta


Another dirty game the intelligence has been working on related to the values of the conservative society in Ghouta district.

 Arresting, torturing and raping women of Ghouta in the aim of humiliating them and their families, activists told Zaman al-Wasl.
 
Osama al-Omari, Ghouta-based activist, confirmed that members of the Fourth Armored Division, led by Bashar al-Assad’s brother Maher, had arrested four women from the city of Arbin town in October.
 
As usual, women were taken to an unknown destination, where they remained in detention until this month. They were released without being able to confirm what they were subjected to during the period of detention, because it is like a red line for the residents to talk about so they think they should be completely silent about it. According to their perspective, the ugliness of the crime has to be less common among people.
 
This silence could not resist the terrible pain of one of the women who had nervous breakdown due to bad memories and what she suffered in the regime’s detention, which prompted her relatives to offer a consultation with a psychologist, but they realized that the treatment sessions on the details are terrifying.
 
Zaman al-Wasl was able to communicate with the doctor who supervised the treatment of the victim. 

The doctor confirmed that this breakdown resulted from the continuous psychological trauma caused by the "multiple rape" as well as the severe beatings and threatening to kill her entire people in case it dared to disclose anything concerning the circumstances of her detention.
 
The horror of the victim’s words tells only part of the whole scene. 

The regime is fully aware of his power that no one can enter unless it harms itself and its people, in addition to the high sensitivity of the issue, which required silence on the violations as in the case of the four women, and if one of them had not reached the nervous breakdown, her story would have been walled, and her killer "secret" would have accompanied her to her final resting place. 

This is a part of the regime and its executioner’s confidence when they committed sexual crimes against women.
 
The regime continues to press the "stigma" severely, by arresting women, fabricating the charges against them and not distinguishing between whether they remain in their areas and who have returned with some returnees from the north.

Since the Syrian revolution erupted in 2011, more than 470,000 people have been killed, and more than 6 million people have been displaced.



]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/39286 0 <![CDATA[Search engine includes names of 9000 Jordanians wanted for Assad intelligence]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38567 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38567 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 09:19:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38567 (Zaman Al Wasl)- Zaman al-Wasl has launched a new search engine for people wattled for the Syrian regime. This time the search ending includes names of about 900 Jordanian wanted for the Syrian Intelligence.

Zaman al-Wasl is publishing the name list of Jordanians, including women and children, in order to save the people who honored Syrian refugees in the neighboring country.

People interested in this engine they have to enter the full name of the person who doubt is enrolled on the list in addition to and his province to get the result.

Raghad Hussein, daughter of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, is also on the list. Accoridng to her arrest warrant, she has a fake Jordanian passport, using 'Raghad Saber Nasri' as an pseudonym.



Check Here



Nassib Crossing Trap


With 8845 arrest warrants by Syrian intelligence for Jordanian citizens, the newly-opened Nassib border crossing has turned into a trap to hunt wanted people, such a concern mounts after the regime arrested a Jordanian citizen while he was trying to enter Syria last week.

The 8-year-old war did not drop the wanted list during the closure of the strategic crossing for over four years. Who ever cross the regime’s crossing and has a name on the list will be arrested, activists say.

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

You can also search Here for your name, perhaps your are on the Syrian regime's wanted list


Zaman Al Wasl has launched a huge search engine including data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban.

Syria’s first enormous search engine is also including names of 250,000 women.

The first batch is including 500,000 names as the second batch to be published on March 20 and the third on March 25. The first enormous search engine in Syria is also including names of 250,000 women.

The search is highly confidential and can not be seen by any search engine operator. We use (HTTP) for secure communication which is encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released. 

Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives.

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.






]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38567 0 <![CDATA[8845 Jordanians wanted for Assad regime: Check The List]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38531 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38531 Tue, 06 Nov 2018 12:27:44 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38531 (Zaman Al Wasl)- With 8845 arrest warrants by Syrian intelligence for Jordanian citizens, the newly-opened Nassib border crossing has turned into a trap to hunt wanted people, such a concern mounts after the regime arrested a Jordanian citizen while he was trying to enter Syria last week.

The 8-year-old war did not drop the wanted list during the closure of the strategic crossing for over four years. Who ever cross the regime’s crossing and has a name on the list will be arrested, activists say.
 
Zaman al-Wasl is publishing the name list of Jordanians, including women and children, wanted by the Syrian security services in order to save the people who honored Syrian refugees in the neighboring country.


Please Click Here


In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

You can also search Here for your name, perhaps your are on the Syrian regime's wanted list


Zaman Al Wasl has launched a huge search engine including data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban.

Syria’s first enormous search engine is also including names of 250,000 women.

The first batch is including 500,000 names as the second batch to be published on March 20 and the third on March 25. The first enormous search engine in Syria is also including names of 250,000 women.

The search is highly confidential and can not be seen by any search engine operator. We use (HTTP) for secure communication which is encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released. 

Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives.

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.







]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38531 0 <![CDATA[Corruption swallowed heavy weapons factory in Mesyaf: source]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38089 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38089 Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:15:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38089


(Zaman Al Wasl)- Corruption continues to be spread in the Syrian army facilities to reach Factory 794 after Factory 793, to turn from heavy weapons manufacturing into scrap.

The factory is located near the village of Zawi near Mesyaf city in al-Ghab Plain.

The factory of Zawi is specialized in the production of heavy, medium and light weapons, the most important of which are artillery (130-122 mm, mortar, artillery pieces, tanks, tanks). He pointed out that the factory contains special lathes for manufacturing and turning artillery tanks and tanks of all caliber

A military source told Zaman al-Wasl that the production of the plant over the past years was a material loss because of the poor quality of products, despite the capacities and the existing physical base, as it was unable to reach the required standards of the a manufacturer of a product with a strong military qualifications.





In 1993, the factory’s production line 793 were transported light weapons from Mount Takasis near Hama to factory headquarters 794. These lines used to produce (7.62 mm machine gun and various machine guns), but were suspended from work due to the failure to reach a military product and the failure to pass the tests

The source attributed the successive losses to the factory’s failure to produce any kind of heavy or light weapons abiding by the safety conditions, to the accumulation of debt on the factory, and the borrowing from the public debt fund to pay the salaries of its employees, as 98% of them loyal.

As a result of these successive losses in June 2010, a decision was issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to transfer the factory to 794 owners of the Foundation of Defense Laboratories to the owners of the Center for Studies and Scientific Research, in order to develop its production and make it a physical and actual product.

After the order of transfer of the factory for the Scientific Research Center, the Defense Industries Corporation dismantled and transferred some of the production lines that were inside the factory, which were transferred and placed inside the warehouses of factory 790 in the" Ambassador ", and those lines that have been dismantled and transported (Light weapons production line), according to the source.

The Center for Scientific Studies and Research worked on converting it to a factory to produce death drums, bringing the production of the laboratory monthly to about 600 barrels of explosives.



]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38089 0 <![CDATA[Corruption undermines regime's weapon factories]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38042 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38042 Sun, 14 Oct 2018 16:11:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38042 (Zaman Al Wasl)- The story of Factory 793 for small and light weapons is evidently very telling of the Syrian regime’s failure to acquire the minimum scientific sophistication and progress like its supporters claim it does. 

A well-informed source attributed this to a very important reason which is the handing over of the factory to loyalists and members of the Assad community who were sent abroad in missions.  Their corruption led to the loss and closure of entire production factories which, of course, cost millions of dollars.

The source explained to Zaman al-Wasl that the Factory 793, which was located in the area of Jabal Takisis" near the 797 ammunition factory, was producing small and light weapons of the types: medium machine gun 12.7, medium machine gun 14.5, and Russian rifle 7.62. 

Our source adds that: “the main production line of the 793 light weapons factory was bought by North Korea, while some lathes, spare parts and other tools of the factory were purchased by several European countries, notably France and Belgium. The only Syrian factory responsible for the production of light and medium weapons is now sold to Europe. 

The source confirmed that when it first started its production, the factory 793 used to take a sample of the weapons produced in order to run the necessary tests in the field of experimental testing that belonged to the factory. He indicated that the results have always been unacceptable (production rejected).

Our sources named multiple deficiencies found in the products. Most of these deficiencies take place in gun Barrels (explosions during experiments), as well as several issues among which is metal being unresisting to high temperature.

He stated that the Regime had failed in its attempts to improve and develop the quality of its weaponry. The regime sent groups of its people to North Korea on special missions for the purpose of developing and improving the quality of their products, which according to the source, was a waste of time since losses were continuously increasing due to the product failing each time in technical tests. 

In 1991, about 10,000 Kalashnikov rifles were produced at once, but it was found during the test that all of them contained AC Milan, which destroyed all the products. 

Our source revealed that the loss suffered by the factory (raw materials + salaries of employees) and other current expenses in 1992 amounted to about 156 million Syrian pounds, and therefore, it was decided to stop the factory from producing any more weapons. 

He asserted that in 1993, and because of its failure to produce high quality weapons, the area of "Takasis" was chosen for the project of manufacturing the Scud missile instead of the factory 793. The Defense Establishment Corporation transferred, therefore, all the production lines of the factory 793 to the factory 794 in the area of "Zawi" near the city of Mesyaf in the countryside of Hama and canceled any productions orders given to 793. 

In 2010, the factory was transferred from its owners in the Defense Establishment to the owners of the Center for Scientific Studies and Research, also due to its failure. The Defense Industries Corporation transferred the old production lines related to the production of light weapons, including the previous tools and machines of Factory 793, to Factory 790 in the As-Safira District in Aleppo province where they were put in two warehouses as secretariats.

The source continued to reveal that within these warehouses are production lines worth millions of dollars, which are still production lines scraped inside the warehouses of secretariats within Factory 790 in the As-Safira.



]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/38042 0 <![CDATA[Assad's brother has own prison where hundreds hanged, slaughtered: report]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/37894 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/37894 Sat, 06 Oct 2018 23:05:54 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/37894 (Zaman Al Wasl)- There exists, in a country which Bashar al-Assad decided to turn into a private farm and under the control of an army driven by gangster laws, a prison no less cruel and brutal than dozens of other prisons and detention centers. 

Zaman al-Wasl puts in the hands of its readers a special study prepared by a competent military source to uncover this special prison that located near Damascus inside the powerful Fourth Armored Division which led by the Assad’s brother General Maher al-Assad.

This study tries to confirm the existence of such a brutal prison by revealing its location, its size, the shape of its cells, the names of its detainees and its brutal methods of torture.  

Because of the authority enjoyed by the Fourth Division which is given to it mainly by the regime’s ruler Assad, and because of the state institutions’ unwillingness to oppose the unlawful activities practiced by the militias and the affiliates of this division, they (the militia) have established a prison of their own, separate from the institutions and courts of the state. 

The Fourth Division is linked directly to the security office, headed by Colonel Hussein Marisha who is responsible for the loss of hundreds and maybe thousands of lives. He is assisted in his criminal activities by the renowned felon and delinquent Abu Yoshah.

The source reveals that there is "another criminal, no less brutal to the detainees than Colonel Hussein, who is Lieutenant Colonel Yasser Salhab from the Security Office," He visits the prison from time to time in order to carry out several executions in various criminal and offensive ways. 

The Fourth Division prison’s location, as shown on the map, is located in front of to the old officers' club. It is a multi-storey building located entirely underground and that stretches over a large space. In fact, this prison was previously an old headquarters that belonged to the division and is now transformed into the Fourth Division’s private prison.  

Our source confirms: “The prison consists of three floors. In the basement, we find the individual cells and the execution hall. On the middle floor are the collective dormitories and on the top floor are the administration offices, prison guards and the rooms in which interrogations and torture are committed.”

Fourth Brigade is not only limited to members of the military as was the case for the military team before the revolution, but it also includes soldiers and civilians from outside the Fourth Division. There are prisoners that spent decades inside this prison. 

What is strange is that all military units transfer civilians to the branches of intelligence in accordance with their specialty (according to the duties of the geographical area) which is how the regime normally proceeds, except for the Fourth division in which some detainees have been transferred from intelligence branches, especially air intelligence, to the prison of the division. This procedure is completely unusual and incomprehensible for which only two explanations could be found; the first is that the aim behind the transfer is the liquidation of those detainees inside the prison and the second is holding citizens hostage in order to receive large amounts of money from those belonging to rich families.

The Fourth Division prison is made up of a large number of individual cells located in the basement. These cells are dim, the sun never reaches them; they are ventilated by small fans (a small turbine), the air is pumped into the long corridor linking these cells.

Dozens of people have spent many years there; people whose names are kept strictly confidential by prison officials; they are approached by their numbers instead of names, numbers that have been given to them since their entrance. On the middle floor, you find several collective dormitories also numbered alphabetically. 

The source explains that the dormitory named C, as prisoners call it, is composed of two large rooms connected to each other. In this dormitory, the new detainees, which are still under investigation, are received. They are claimed to be subject to the most severe kinds of torture ever known to humanity from its ancient past up to the present day.  They are tortured sometimes in order to extract confessions that may not exist, except in the imagination of the interrogator, and sometimes only for the mere gratification of their instinct of torture. Many of the prisoners died in this department.

Our source adds: “This dormitory does not contain toilets or baths, the detainees are therefore taken out twice a day to the toilet that resides outside the dormitory in a very ugly and inhumane way. In the morning, the detainees are ordered to lie down, naked, and then two numbers are called for; those with the concerned numbers should then go together inside the bathroom to discharge in no more than half a minute, sometimes even less. The same procedure is repeated in the evening, where detainees have to step on each other’s bodies and heads in order to reach the bathroom and while returning to their positions. Even though they follow the rules, the crack of the whip still reaches them. 

To each ten people is given only one blanket, and that’s how winter becomes an additional factor in the suffering of these detainees. The source points out that the number of detainees in this dormitory fluctuates; it sometimes increases and sometimes decreases. The average number is however about seventy five detainees filling the investigation department. 

He adds "After the interrogation of the detainee is completed, they are either transferred to an individual or collective cell, executed, or are transferred to Adra Prison or to another security body. This decision is not taken according to a specific timetable, but rather to the investigator's temperament and the prison administration’s mood. 

About 200 to 300 individuals are crammed inside the collective dormitories. Each dormitory has one doorless bathroom and one small laundry. "

According to the source only two meals containing the minimum nutritional value are offered to the prisoners. Breakfast contains half a loaf of bread, and a few pieces of olives or one egg, as for lunch, it contains a dry loaf of bread, generally a little boiled bulgur and sometimes, instead of that is given only one piece of Potatoes. 

As for the medical team and the medicines, they are nonexistent, whereas the systematic and brutal torture permanently continues. The cruelest and most mutilating tools of torture are used, up to those with which genitals are extracted. 




The source revealed that only 20% of the detainees are referred to the court. Those who are killed by torture are handed over to the hospital (601) in Mezzeh on the grounds that they are "terrorists killed during the confrontations." 

According to our source, the number of people killed under torture in the division prison at the beginning of 2011 is estimated at more than 700-900. 

Common methods used against detainees include:

1- Getting undressed and remaining completely naked.

2-  Going to the toilet in the presence of other people. 

3-  Deprivation of medical care. 

4-  Sleep deprivation. 

5-  Whipping and electro shocks. 

6-  Hanging.

7- The wheel and the chair. 

8-  Torture with electric shock.

9- Torture in the genital areas has been extensively used was the cause of the deaths of many detainees.

10- Stabbing and burning with flammable metal machines.

11-  Lynching and beating through quadrilateral cables. 

In addition to all the torture methods used in the Fourth Division prison, there is another method that’s unique, by which millions of lives were lost, and that distinguishes the fourth brigade prison; the detainees call it: "the invention of the criminal Abu Yosha".

This method mainly depends on the time they have to kill the detainee (whether they have few hours, one day, two days, several days, etc.. ) 



Crime tools include: 

*An empty vessel that opens from one end (similar to the olive oil vessel known by the Syrians being opened on one side only) or a small barrel that is open half a hole from its upper side only.

*An iron bed equipped to hold the detainee above it.

* A hungry cat (starved for two days or more) and sometimes the cat is given food if the intention is to torture him with heat (Assistant Abu Yoshah has several types of cats and perhaps the fiercest of them is the one believed to be a wild cat because of his untamable cruelty)
* A heat source to heat the vessel. 

The killing procedures: 

Tightly connecting the detainee to the iron bed so as to make it impossible for him to move. 

Placing the vessel, in which the cat is placed, in a way that makes its open end directly face the detainee’s body. 

The location of the vessel is what determines the duration of the prisoner’s torture before he/she surrenders to death. If for example the vessel is placed near the heart or near the genitals then the victim only holds for few hours before they dies. But if the vessel is placed on the victim’s back or on their stomach then the suffering stretches for one or two days before it kills them. 

The hungry wild cat begins to bite on the detainee's flesh until the area starts to bleed. 

Occasionally the vessel is heated with a thermal source deliberately in order to force the cat to avoid the heat not finding any exit other than the detainee’s flesh which the cat penetrates with its teeth seeking a way out for itself. This creates a big hemorrhage in the victim’s body which eventually brings their death.  




]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/37894 0 <![CDATA[10 million searches in leaked Syrian wanted-list: Google Analytics]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/34060 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/34060 Sun, 01 Apr 2018 21:04:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/34060

(Zaman Al Wasl)- At least 10 million searches have been made by people looking for their names in the leaked wanted list which issued by the Syrian Intelligence and included names of 1.5 mn people, according to Google Analytics statistics.

Zaman Al Wasl launched on March 15 a huge search engine including big official data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban.

According to statistics, Turkey ranked first in terms of research sources with 4.6 million searches, Germany with 1 million searches and Saudi Arabia with 800,000 searches. To the Syrians.

In addition, 700,000 searches were recorded from Syria via "https" that secures communication.
 
According to the statistics, 92 percent of the searches were conducted by mobile phone, within the time limit of each researcher on the site within 6.5 minutes.

Check your name  Here in the search engine that includes names of 1500,000 people wanted for the 
Syrian intelligence services.



Zaman al-Wasl planned to publish the wanted list in three batches, started by the first batch on March 15, the second on March 20 and the third has been published on March 25.

Zaman al-Wasl, also, will launch a mobile app including names of 2.5 million people wanted for regime. Including names of who are wanted for conscription.


The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released. 



Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives.

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.

We want to highlight that the huge leak was due our Damascus-based sources who share Zaman al-Wasl the same concerns over the forcibly disappeared and detainees. Zaman al-Wasl is a very grateful for all help by the sources for saving lives of thousands of people whom did not know they were wanted for arrest.
 




      
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/34060 0 <![CDATA[Third Batch of Assad's Wanted-list Released: Check Your Name]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33862 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33862 Sun, 25 Mar 2018 20:57:56 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33862
 Check your name  Here in the search engine that includes names of 1500,000 people wanted for the Syrian intelligence services.


Zaman Al Wasl launched on March 15 a huge search engine including big official data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban.

Zaman al-Wasl planned to publish the wanted list in three batches, started by the first batch on March 15, the second on March 20 and the third has been published on March 25.

Zaman al-Wasl, also, will launch a mobile app including names of 2.5 million people wanted for regime. Including names of who are wanted for conscription.

The search is highly confidential and can not be seen by any search engine operator. We use (HTTP) for secure communication which is encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released. 



Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives.

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.

We want to highlight that the huge leak was due our Damascus-based sources who share Zaman al-Wasl the same concerns over the forcibly disappeared and detainees. Zaman al-Wasl is a very grateful for all help by the sources for saving lives of thousands of people whom did not know they were wanted for arrest.
 




     

Late Commander Abdul Qader Saleh, one of the founders of the Tawhid Brigade, is still on Assad’s wanted list, according to leaked data includes names of 1.5 mn people. Hajji Mare' died on Nov 17 2013, in airstrikes on the Infantry Academy north of Aleppo. https://t.co/4y7SiqNfxl https://t.co/fLKt8u6mvk

— ZamanAlwsl (@ZamanEnglish) March 26, 2018
 

According to the leaked wanted-list, seven arrest warrants still pending against Zahran Alloush, former commander of Jaish al-Islam, in spite of his death by regime airstrike on 25 December 2015.

The leaked data includes names of 1.5 mn people.https://t.co/4y7SiqNfxl https://t.co/73JlZNhxxx

— ZamanAlwsl (@ZamanEnglish) March 25, 2018
 

Rasha Omran, poet and prominent opposition figure, is wanted for the Syrian Military Intelligence, according to the leaked wanted-list that includes names of 1.5 mln people.https://t.co/4y7SiqNfxl https://t.co/5YbB2pL1Tr

— ZamanAlwsl (@ZamanEnglish) March 25, 2018
 ]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33862 0 <![CDATA[Second Batch of Assad's Wanted-list Released: Check Your Name]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33732 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33732 Tue, 20 Mar 2018 18:35:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33732
 Check your name  Here in the search engine that includes names of one million people who are wanted for the Syrian intelligence services.


 Now one million names are already available as the third 500-thousand-name batch to be published on March 25 


Zaman Al Wasl launched on March 15 a huge search engine including big official data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban.

Zaman al-Wasl planned to publish the wanted list on three batches, started by the first batch on March 15, the second on March 20 and the third will be published on March 25.

Zaman al-Wasl, also, will launch a mobile app including names of 2.5 million people wanted for regime. Including names of who are wanted for conscription.

The search is highly confidential and can not be seen by any search engine operator. We use (HTTP) for secure communication which is encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released. 

Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives.

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.

We want to highlight that the huge leak was due our Damascus-based sources who share Zaman al-Wasl the same concerns over the forcibly disappeared and detainees. Zaman al-Wasl is a very grateful for all help by the sources for saving lives of thousands of people whom did not know they were wanted for arrest.
 




]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33732 0 <![CDATA[Rihab Allawi tortured to death by Military Intelligence: leaked wanted list shows]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33731 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33731 Tue, 20 Mar 2018 17:40:00 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33731  (Zaman Al Wasl)- Rihab Mohammad Allawi, the prominent Syrian female activist and the relief worker, was tortured to death the Military Intelligence Division, according to the leaked intelligence wanted list that included the name of Allawi and the security department which demanded her arrest


Check your name  Here in the search engine that includes names of one million people who are 
wanted for the Syrian intelligence services.

 Branch 215, Syria’s notorious military intelligence division, arrested the civil engineering student on January 16, 2013 from her house in Harasta, the eastern suburb of Harasta of Damascus where fierce clashes are still underway.

Photo of Allawi, that was born in 1989 in Deir Ezzor province, was among exclusive photos obtained by Zaman al-Wasl showing for the first time, women and children among mass torture photos of 11,000 victims who were tortured to death in the Assad security chambers between (2011-2013) according to an International Report published January 2014. 

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least 215,000 people were arrested by Syrian security since the revolution erupted in March 2011. (4,500 of them are women and 9,000 are less than 18). 

The report said 2630 detainees were tortured to death, and 70,000 cases documented as enforced disappearance.

   

Zaman Al Wasl launched on March 15 a huge search engine including big official data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban. 

Zaman al-Wasl planned to publish the wanted list on three batches, started by the first batch on March 15, the second on March 20 and the third will be published on March 25. 

Zaman al-Wasl, also, will launch a mobile app including names of 2.5 million people wanted for regime. Including names of who are wanted for conscription. 

The search is highly confidential and can not be seen by any search engine operator. We use (HTTP) for secure communication which is encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS). 

The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released.  

Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.   

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives. 

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution. 

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents. 

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s.  

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR. 

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.



 

 

]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33731 0 <![CDATA[Check your name in Syrian regime's wanted list: 1.5 million people wanted]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33629 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33629 Fri, 16 Mar 2018 23:49:32 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33629



 Search Here for your name, perhaps your are on the Syrian regime's wanted list 



Zaman Al Wasl has launched a huge search engine including data and names of 1,500,000 people wanted for the Syrian regime, including warrants of arrest, interrogation and travel ban.

Syria’s first enormous search engine is also including names of 250,000 women.

The first batch is including 500,000 names as the second batch to be published on March 20 and the third on March 25. The first enormous search engine in Syria is also including names of 250,000 women.

Zaman al-Wasl, also, will launch a mobile app including names of 2.5 million people wanted for regime. Including names of who are wanted for conscription.

The search is highly confidential and can not be seen by any search engine operator. We use (HTTP) for secure communication which is encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The Regime does not update the data of people on the list. Thousadns of them have been tortured to death in security chambers. Few were released. 

Zaman al-Wasl seeks to shed the light on the fate of the Syrian disappeared and victims of arbitrarily arrest as well as the search engine aims to provide data and information for the local and international human rights organisations and civil rights advocates.

Syrians in the refuge countries can have a look in the data to find out if they are listed or any of their relatives.

The engine was programmed to launch on March 15, at the seventh anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

In 2015, Zaman al-Wasl has obtained the Syrian intelligence archive that includes 1.7 million documents.

The leaked archive contains records from the beginning of 2015 includes people from more than 150 nations not just Syrians. It dates back to the 1960s. 

The iron rule of the Assad family, including father and son, made maintaining security services a top priority in order to watch Syrians and foreigners alike, according to NDR.

More than 470,000 people have been killed and 12 millions have been driven from their homes since Syria's revolution erupted in 2011.



]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/33629 0 <![CDATA[All Islamists' activities monitored by Syrian Intelligence: document]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/32073 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/32073 Thu, 04 Jan 2018 20:08:01 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/32073
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian intelligence archive reveals the regime’s extreme obsession with anything related to religion, big or small. The regime ensured it planted agents within all religious institutions to guarantee it could document all details related to any of the religions practiced in Syria. 

An intelligence document, issued in February 2007, presented the proceedings of a regular meeting held among the heads of divisions and detachments of the 271 Branch (Military Intelligence - Idlib Branch), headed by Brigadier General Ahmed Fares and his deputy Brigadier General Nofal al-Hussein.

During the meeting, the political and military situation was reviewed as well as the security situation which was discussed for most of the meeting. Of the 26 articles recorded from the meeting, around half are devoted to research on issues related to different Islamic currents and trends without neglecting “following the activities of Christian clergy men”. 


-Tools and consequences-


The document reveals that the al-Assad intelligence included all religious trends such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafist groups, or Sufi paths in their research, and did not leave a single field of activity unobserved whether sermons, da’wa, Quran memorization, Jihad, or teaching. Almost all of these different currents and activities received the same treatment which included, following up on their activities, conducting research on them, meeting and speaking to them, trying to persuade them to become closer to the regime, and plant intelligence agents in their ranks.

Paragraph 15 under the security situation article explicitly states, “Attracting the largest number of sources and new delegates, and activating them for security work in all political and religious organizations.”

Scrutinizing the document shows clearly that the regime adopted a multi-faceted policy in its dealings with various Islamic currents. This policy is based on: monitoring, sorting, containment, and infiltration. Each of these four aspects involved particular tools, and each of raised particular consequences and ramifications. The consequences of some of these tools were revealed several years later with the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.

The content of the document presented in this report largely aligns with the contents of two leaked (WikiLeaks) documents, the first of which dates back to 2010 and documents an American delegation meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria which was attended by the then Director of General Intelligence Ali Mamluk. The second document is dated August 2007, and relays part of a conversation between the then Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Bashar al-Assad.

In the first document, Mamluk boasts in front of the Americans of “30 years of Syrian experience in fighting extremist groups.” He continued, “In principle, we do not depend on attacking them or killing them immediately, but plant our agents inside them [the groups], and then we move at the right moment.”

The second document confirms that Bashar al-Assad told al-Maliki during his visit to Damascus that the main danger to Iraqis and Syrians is extremism, before reassuring his guest that the numbers of extremists have increased, but they do not exceed a few thousands. He added, “Which makes them within the limits of our security services which are capable of disciplining and controlling them.”

Al-Assad's intelligence services devoted most of their activity to tracking, monitoring and infiltrating the religious milieu, specifically within its Sunni framework, but this did not prevent the intelligence services from pursuing other activities happening beyond this framework. As illustrated in paragraph 19 of the February 2007 document which dictated “following the activities of Christian clergymen”. The paragraph confirms previous intelligence documents’ content which include descriptions of Christian clergymen.

Zaman al-Wasl will present a document shortly regarding the regime intelligence services’ infiltration of the Shiite sect’s affairs in Syria.



]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/32073 0 <![CDATA[Assad still hiding chemical stockpiles in secret depots: document, witness]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30964 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30964 Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:00:32 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30964  (Zaman Al Wasl)- An official document obtained by Zaman al-Wasl reveals that the Syrian regime had transferred most of chemical weapons stockpiles in 2013 to secret depots held by Maher al-Assad, de-facto military commander of Syria after the deadly Sarin gas attack on Eastern Ghouta suburbs.

Moving most of the chemical arsenal from the Institute 1000 in Jamraya to 105th Brigade near the Presidential Palace in Damascus was on September 19, 2013 at the same day the regime handed the UN Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a list of chemical sites in the war-torn country, following the Eastern Ghouta Chemical attack on August 21, 2013 when more than 1460 died in the nerve gas attack, two weeks before the arrival of the United Nations inspectors on October 3.  



At the time, the horrific images from the immediate aftermath of the attack drew global outrage.

On September 27, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2118 (2013) in a fast-breaking evening meeting, the Council determined that the use of chemical weapons anywhere constituted a threat to international peace and security, and called for the full implementation of the decision of the OPCW which contains special procedures for the expeditious and verifiable destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.
















 


-The Transfer-



The Institute 1000, a research center affiliated to the Branch 410,  was founded by the Soviets in 1980s to manufacture chemical weapons in Jamraya village, 2 km (3 miles) to the northwest of the Syrian capital, beyond Mount Qasioun.

The document was issued by the Center for Scientific Studies and Research - Institute 1000 (Institute of Electronics) on 22 September - 2013 5No. 793) signed by the Director of the Institute, Dr. Mohammed Khalid Nasri.

Nasri, according to the document, named Lieutenant Colonel Engineer Firas Ahmed as head of the supervisory committee for the transfer of the stockpiles stored in the warehouses of the Institute to the warehouses of the 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard that led by General Maher Assad, brother of Bashar Assad.

Nasri asked Ahmed who also leads the security in the institute to choose who deems appropriate to carry out the "transport mission in the most appropriate and confidential manner".



The transfer carried out on 19 September 2013 by 50 troops mostly from the Assad stronghold in Latakia came less than a month after the Ghouta Attack. 

The selection of troops was based on their sectarian loyalty, and under the supervision of Brigadier Yusuf Ajib, security officer of the Center for Studies and Research.

One of troops who participated in the ‘top-secret mission told Zaman al-Wasl that the process of transferring began on September 24 and continued for a week.


The witness confirmed that the operation began by dividing the elements into five groups, 10 elements per group, after they were transferred from Barzah suburb north of Damascus to ​​Jamraya on 24 September. Then they began on the night of  September 25.  



The chemical materials were loaded into "Scales" in five refrigerator trucks that were fully filled and then transferred in batches to the 105th Brigade. The items were placed with the "bags" inside the trucks during the transport and unloading process under underground tunnels at the brigade site.

The witness said  a parallel operation was underway at the same time to transfer another stockpile from ‘Institute 2000’ in Barzah to the 105th Brigade.



Previous reports published by Zaman al-Wasl reveal how the Assad regime have concealed some of its chemical arsenal and did not hand it over, based on several indications, and that the smuggling operation took place before September 19 of the same year, Prohibition of chemical weapons.

Most of imported materials were hidden, especially which are difficult for the regime to manufacture locally. Some of these materials had been transferred to other warehouses in the coastal region and a Hezbollah-held depot in Qusayr town near the Lebanese border.


Meanwhile, the United States has circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would extend by two years the mandate of an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, after Russia vetoed an extension last week, Reuters reported.

The U.S. draft says Syria must not develop or produce chemical weapons, and it calls on all parties in Syria to provide full cooperation with the international probe.

The United States has circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would extend by two years the mandate of an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, after Russia vetoed an extension last week.

The U.S. draft, which was seen by Reuters on Thursday, says Syria must not develop or produce chemical weapons, and it calls on all parties in Syria to provide full cooperation with the international probe.

Syria joined the international Chemical Weapons Convention under a U.S.-Russian deal that followed the deaths of hundreds of civilians in a sarin gas attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus in August 2013.

It was the deadliest use of chemicals in global warfare since the 1988 Halabja massacre at the end of the Iran-Iraq war, which killed at least 5,000 people in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Syrian government, which denied its forces were behind the Ghouta attack, also agreed to hand over its declared stockpile of 1,300 tonnes of toxic weaponry and dismantle its chemical weapons program under international supervision.

The United Nations and OPCW have been investigating whether Damascus is adhering to its commitments under the agreement, which averted the threat of U.S.-led military intervention.

The issue of chemical weapons use in Syria has become a deeply political one, and the U.N.-OPCW inquiry’s allegations of chlorine bomb attacks by government forces have split the U.N. Security Council’s veto-wielding members.

The United States, Britain and France have called for sanctions against Syria, while Assad’s ally Russia has said the evidence presented is insufficient to justify such measures.

A Security Council resolution would be required to bring Assad and other senior Syrian officials before the International Criminal Court for any possible war crimes prosecution - something Russia would likely block.




]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30964 0 <![CDATA[Assad still hiding chemical stockpiles in secret depots: document, witness]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30833 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30833 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:01:18 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30833 (Zaman Al Wasl)- An official document obtained by Zaman al-Wasl reveals that the Syrian regime had transferred most of chemical weapons stockpiles in 2013 to secret depots held by Maher al-Assad, de-facto military commander of Syria after the deadly Sarin gas attack on Eastern Ghouta suburbs.

Moving most of the chemical arsenal from the Institute 1000 in Jamraya to 105th Brigade near the Presidential Palace in Damascus was on September 19, 2013 at the same day the regime handed the UN Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a list of chemical sites in the war-torn country, following the Eastern Ghouta Chemical attack on August 21, 2013 when more than 1460 died in the nerve gas attack, two weeks before the arrival of the United Nations inspectors on October 3.  






























At the time, the horrific images from the immediate aftermath of the attack drew global outrage.

On Septemebr 27, the Security Council unanimously adoptied resolution 2118 (2013) in a fast-breaking evening meeting, the Council determined that the use of chemical weapons anywhere constituted a threat to international peace and security, and called for the full implementation of the 27 September decision of the OPCW which contains special procedures for the expeditious and verifiable destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.















Related:





-The Transfer-



The Institute 1000, a research center affiliated to the Branch 410,  was founded by the Soviets in 1980s to manufacture chemical weapons in Jamraya village, 2 km (3 miles) to the northwest of the Syrian capital, beyond Mount Qasioun.

The document was issued by the Center for Scientific Studies and Research - Institute 1000 (Institute of Electronics) on 22 September - 2013 5No. 793) signed by the Director of the Institute, Dr. Mohammed Khalid Nasri.

Nasri, according to the document, named Lieutenant Colonel Engineer Firas Ahmed as head of the supervisory committee for the transfer of the stockpiles stored in the warehouses of the Institute to the warehouses of the 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard that led by General Maher Assad, brother of Bashar Assad.

Nasri asked Ahmed who also leads the security in the institute to choose who deems appropriate to carry out the "transport mission in the most appropriate and confidential manner".



The transfer carried out on 19 September 2013 by 50 troops mostly from the Assad stronghold in Latakia came less than a month after the Ghouta Attack. 

The selection of troops was based on their sectarian loyalty, and under the supervision of Brigadier Yusuf Ajib, security officer of the Center for Studies and Research.

One of troops who participated in the ‘top-secret mission told Zaman al-Wasl that the process of transferring began on September 24 and continued for a week.


The witness confirmed that the operation began by dividing the elements into five groups, 10 elements per group, after they were transferred from Barzah suburb north of Damascus to ​​Jamraya on 24 September. Then they began on the night of  September 25.  



The chemical materials were loaded into "Scales" in five refrigerator trucks that were fully filled and then transferred in batches to the 105th Brigade. The items were placed with the "bags" inside the trucks during the transport and unloading process under underground tunnels at the brigade site.

The witness said  a parallel operation was underway at the same time to transfer another stockpile from ‘Institute 2000’ in Barzah to the 105th Brigade.



Previous reports published by Zaman al-Wasl reveal how the Assad regime have concealed some of its chemical arsenal and did not hand it over, based on several indications, and that the smuggling operation took place before September 19 of the same year, Prohibition of chemical weapons.

Most of imported materials were hidden, especially which are difficult for the regime to manufacture locally. Some of these materials had been transferred to other warehouses in the coastal region and a Hezbollah-held depot in Qusayr town near the Lebanese border.


Meanwhile, the United States has circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would extend by two years the mandate of an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, after Russia vetoed an extension last week, Reuters reported.

The U.S. draft says Syria must not develop or produce chemical weapons, and it calls on all parties in Syria to provide full cooperation with the international probe.

The United States has circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would extend by two years the mandate of an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, after Russia vetoed an extension last week.

The U.S. draft, which was seen by Reuters on Thursday, says Syria must not develop or produce chemical weapons, and it calls on all parties in Syria to provide full cooperation with the international probe.

Syria joined the international Chemical Weapons Convention under a U.S.-Russian deal that followed the deaths of hundreds of civilians in a sarin gas attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus in August 2013.

It was the deadliest use of chemicals in global warfare since the 1988 Halabja massacre at the end of the Iran-Iraq war, which killed at least 5,000 people in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Syrian government, which denied its forces were behind the Ghouta attack, also agreed to hand over its declared stockpile of 1,300 tonnes of toxic weaponry and dismantle its chemical weapons program under international supervision.

The United Nations and OPCW have been investigating whether Damascus is adhering to its commitments under the agreement, which averted the threat of U.S.-led military intervention.

The issue of chemical weapons use in Syria has become a deeply political one, and the U.N.-OPCW inquiry’s allegations of chlorine bomb attacks by government forces have split the U.N. Security Council’s veto-wielding members.

The United States, Britain and France have called for sanctions against Syria, while Assad’s ally Russia has said the evidence presented is insufficient to justify such measures.

A Security Council resolution would be required to bring Assad and other senior Syrian officials before the International Criminal Court for any possible war crimes prosecution - something Russia would likely block.





]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30833 0 <![CDATA['The Syrian Archive' local initiative documents war atrocities]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30803 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30803 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 02:56:13 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30803 (Zaman Al Wasl)- For almost three years, the Syrian Archive has been documenting war atrocities and human rights violations, making an enormous data bank that illustrates six years of bloodshed by the Syrian regime.

The archive serves as a source for researchers and documentarists as well as a tool contributing to implement justice and accountability in Syria.

The Syrian Archive started as local initiative launched by human rights advocates, journalists and archivists. 

Researcher Abdul Rahman Jaloud, a member of the Syrian Archive, told Zaman al-Wasl that the team was concerned that most of the videos posted on YouTube because they conflict with YouTube policy and this is what happened years later.

Jaloud explained that the aim of the project is to find an open source archive for all Syrians away from YouTube that can be used in the fields of human rights and justice and supporting human rights in and outside of Syria.

The work of the Syrian Archive comes in stages including collecting sources and verifying of videos in addition to verifying the location of the video by comparing the reference points like buildings, trees, mountains with the satellite photos provided by Google Earth and by Open Street Map and Panoramio, Jaloud said.

He confirmed that the Syrian Archive now has a list of 1100 sources, pointing out that the archive team take from all reliable sources and upload the videos they produce and place a protection digital stamp to make sure the video is original. 

After that, they classify the videos on a classification based on the standards placed by the International Investigation Committee especially videos or forced disappearance, killing, massacres, sexual violence, and violations against children as well as illegal attack on dignitaries and persons protected by law like civil defense and hospitals in addition to use of illegal weapons like cluster or burning or chemical weapons and videos of siege and starvation.

Following YouTube activation of artificial intelligence feature last July to fight the extremist content, according to Jaloud. Thousands of videos documenting regime crimes were blocked by YouTube which has put the archive in front of a big problem in its mission. Hence, the archive speeded up preservation and classification of videos and it was able to preserve 1 million videos from Syria and retrieved about 600 thousand videos during the past period in cooperation with YouTube.

According to BBC which investigates military raids in conflict areas like Syria and Iraq, YouTube is the first source for Syrians to document war crimes committed in their areas since the start of the conflict.

Jaloud pointed out the archive is ready to cooperate with any Syrian human rights organization and neutral international ones in order to preserve all videos outside of Syria; the videos indicating crimes and violations against humanity during the past 7 years. He added that there are around 80 to 100 thousand videos that have been deleted for good from YouTube and the archive has only 20% to 30% of them.

Jaloud said the biggest challenge for the project today is to collect around 1.5 million videos in one open source place that anyone can use it with no obstacles.

]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30803 0 <![CDATA[Assad regime facilitated PKK recruitment in Syria: security documents]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30775 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30775 Tue, 31 Oct 2017 05:26:37 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30775

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Confidential documents issued by the Syrian political intelligence before the Syrian Uprising in 2011 showed nominal lists of Syrian Kurds who joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in its armed conflict with Turkey.

The documents which issued by the political branch in Raqqa and obtained by Zaman Al Was reveal the names of tens of men and women who joined PKK and moved to fight in turkey. 

The political security had never asked Damascus officials to arrest or take an action as Adana agreement between the Syrian regime and Turkey in 1998 which demands Syrian side to not providing any support for PKK fighters.

Names of fighter from both genders from Raqqa who joined training in Kurdestan’s mountains and remained there were included in documents, and they counted almost 50 persons, as well as names of Kurds of Raqqa who were killed were included in lists.







Another document specified Kurds who returned to Syria and sorted out their situation and counted 30 persons.

In 1998, Turkey and Syria were at the brink of war when Turkey condemned Syria for supporting the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization internationally by a number of countries and organizations, and Turkey threatened military action if Syria continued to shelter Abdullah Öcalan in Damascus. 

However, relations have improved since October the same year when Adana Agreement was signed between the two country and Abdullah Öcalan was expelled from Damascus and Syria pledged to stop harbouring the PKK militants, later Öcalan was capture in Kenya as a result of security cooperation between the two countries.

The Democratic Union Party “PYD”, the Syrian branch of PKK which claims fighting al-Assad regime, however, documents published earlier by Zaman Al Wasl showed cooperation between the Syrian regime and People’s Protection Units “YPG”, the armed wing of PYD, in many aspects, one of them was protection oil fields in the Eastern region on Syria.












 

The documents issued by the Syrian regime have revealed the strong bonds between Damascus and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Syria's wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

 The coordination between the Assads regime and OYD, Syrian's PKK branch, has been reflected in different forms of cooperation in arming and training, joint fighting and coordination to carry out terror attacks in Turkey by providing logistic an intelligence assistance.

The documents recently obtained by Zaman al-Wasl and issued from top level intelligence and military sections in the regime represents one of irrefutable evidences of Bashar al-Assad involvement in supporting a terrorist organization even according to Washington listing. 

Washington still defends its stand in backing PYD militia trying to make it seem different from PKK militia; however, the documents prove PKK and PYD are one organization with two different names.

Zaman al-Wasl will publish the documents with dates and names of signers on the documents to reveal for the first time and in official evidence the strong connection and complex one between Assad regime and PKK militia. 

The documents will also shed light on the influential role played by regime intelligence in striking Turkey’s security via blasting operations which killed and injured thousands during the past few years.


-Trucks transport weapons instead of wheat-


Our first report includes a document signed by Major General Muhi al-Deen Ramadan Mansour, the chief of regime special forces unit. The document is signed on August 6 2014 and directed to Air Landing Division number 54 through sequence addressıng Division 17 leadership which major general belong to.

The top confidential documents literally states, “based on the leadership orders, we ask you to work to provide PKK with ten pieces of SAMEL-M from your warehouse. You should pay attention that the delivery process should not take place in the warehouses inside the division, but should be transported to them with artillery shells and required ammunition in trucks from Qamishli grains branch with military drivers. You should be careful during transportation and inform us directly of any observance.”

The Shmel-M in the correspondence is the flamethrower rocket launcher prepared to destroyed light-shielded vehicles and bunkers and start fire in them.
Shmel-M is a man-portable rocket launcher. İt has a firing range between 400 and 600 M. The long range can reach 1700 M. It was developed a decade ago a Russian manufacturing company known as KBP (The weapon and its uses).

Syrian regime army used Shmel-M in different battles against the Syrian population and rebels. The uses of the weapons are documented in a footage broadcasted by Syrian National Defense (NDF) late 2015 following capture of al-Nubeh mountains in Latakia countryside (footage).

Major General Muhi al-Deen Mansour assumed the post of chief of special forces, one of the striking wings of the regime until May 2015 when he was killed in Idlib liberation battle by Jaish al-Fateh.

-We participate with them in battles-

In the same context, a document issued from Air Landing Division 54 leadership Brigadier General Mohamed Maha directed to Division 17 leader and dated January 12 2015 explained executing orders of the division leader to deliver PKK weapons and different ammunition.

The confidential documents states literally, “leader of 17 Division ground forces a respond to your document number 19235 in 24/12/2014, weapons and ammunition required in your document were delivered to PKK delegate Abul Ghani Habou. Currently, we participate in the southern front in the city.”



The sentence”we participate in the southern front from the city” points out to PKK militia fighting with regime forces and its other militias in Qamishli city.

Maha assumes the post of leader of Air Landing Division 45 subordinate to speial forces and stationed south of Qamishli . The division has alwayas been a place to train and graduate different militias in different names. The division’s leader Maha was among the well-chosen officers to lead regime forces convoys. His name was mentioned in a mission order issued by Bashar al-Assad himself in 07/03/2012. The convoy included 75 vehicles.

Zaman al-Wasl published a year ago confidential documents including 15 movement orders signed by former Minister of Defense Dawud Rajha by authorization from Bashal al-Assad. The documents reveal the huge size of forces moved by the regime between the provinces to suppress the revolution. The regime moved during 30 days more than 900 vehicles (Read the report).
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/30775 0 <![CDATA[U.S. Vishay company takes part in Iran's missile industry]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29758 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29758 Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:53:32 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29758 (Zaman Al Wasl)- Well-informed sources revealed that a US company is supplying Iran with electronic equipment exclusively used in missile industry, such a news came as the United States extended some sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal.

 Boxes made by Vishay Intertechnology, an American manufacturer of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components, have been found in Iran-run Ballistic and long-range missile facilities in Jehanam and Sheikh Wadi Ghadban valleys near Masyaf city northwestern Syria, the source who spoke on condition of anonymity said.






The equipment included printed circuit boards that used in Fateh 110 Rocket, one of Hezbollah's favorite weapons.

The American company has good commercial ties with Iran and the Assad regime amid high of secrecy.
 
The United States on Thursday extended some sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal, the State Department said, but no decision has been made on whether to preserve the deal itself.




At the same time, President Donald Trump said that Iran is violating “the spirit” of the Iran nuclear deal and the U.S. Treasury announced new cyber-related sanctions on about a dozen Iranian individuals or entities.

“We are not going to stand for what they are doing,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. But he stopped short of saying whether he will refuse to recertify the agreement.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the administration approved waivers of some sanctions to “maintain some flexibility” as it develops a policy to address the range of Iranian behavior.


“Waiving some of those sanctions should not be seen as an indication of President Trump or his administration’s position on the (Iran nuclear deal), nor is the waiver giving the Iranian regime a pass on its broad range of malign behavior,” she said at a news briefing.

Nauert did not specify which sanctions the administration had waived.

Earlier, sources said the United States will renew a waiver of the key, and most punitive, sanctions it imposed on Iran before the nuclear deal was ultimately struck.



Tucked into Section 1245 of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, Washington threatened to sanction the banks of Iran’s main oil customers if they did not significantly cut their purchases of Iranian crude.

Under the law, these sanctions can be waived for a maximum of 120 days, forcing the U.S. government to revisit the issue every four months. Former President Barack Obama’s administration, which negotiated the deal, did so in mid-January and Trump’s administration did so again on May 17.

Sources familiar with the matter stressed that the wider U.S. policy toward Iran, and whether to preserve the deal that gave Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbing its nuclear program, has yet to be decided. Trump has criticized the deal, but some of his top advisers believe he should preserve it.

Even as the administration prepared to waive the oil-related sanctions, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions on 11 entities and individuals for “engaging in support of designated Iranian actors or malicious cyber-enabled activity,” including two entities based in Ukraine.

The Treasury alleged the firms and individuals were either engaging in activity that supported Iran’s ballistic missile program or its Quds Force, or engaging in cyber attacks against the U.S. financial system.

The action freezes any assets they may hold in the United States and generally prohibits U.S. individuals from doing business with them. (With Reuters)
 

]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29758 0 <![CDATA[Syrian Defense Minister concealed son's harassment crime to make him senior Judge: document]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29130 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29130 Sun, 20 Aug 2017 19:17:07 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29130

(Zaman Al Wasl)- A leaked official document showed that the second son of Syria's Defense Minister, had been charged with harassment twenty years ago, such a crime never been an obstacle for him to be senior judge.


The Syrian criminal record obtained by Zaman al-Wasl newspaper, which contains some 2.5 million records of cases shows that the son of the Defense Minister was involved in a case of harassment and violation of public morals.

On 31 March 1997, a "criminal offense" against Razi Fahd Al-Fureij was recorded in the records of the Criminal Security Branch led by Hama Police, which was run under the category of "harassment" and the crime was recorded, Card number: 81199.



According to the data of this record, Razi, 39, has submitted more than once to obtain a not-sentenced document starting in 2005 and ending in 2012 in which this document was given to him.

But what Razi and his father lost in 1997 (Hafez era), they have realized during the reign of Bashar, especially in 2012, when Al-Fareij suddenly jumped into the Ministry of Defense in conjunction with the announcement of the seventh edition of the Judicial Institute rotation to employ judges and public prosecutors.

It is noteworthy that Razi applied more to obtain a document, "not sentenced" in 2012, and after the accession of his father to Ministry of Defense. He obtained the first document on July 28, 2012 only 10 days after the appointment of his father, a successor to Daoud Rajha who was killed in a very mysterious operation known as "the bombing of the crisis cell".

A judicial expert dissident of the regime says to Zaman al-Wasl that the infamous crime is enough to undermine the eligibility of any person to t any job and how can anyone imagine the acceptance of a person in the judiciary proved to have a "crime of harassment,". He considered what Zaman al-Wasl revealed through the criminal record demonstrates the arrival of corruption to unprecedented indicators in recent years, even compared to its already high levels since the accession of the Assad family to power.

According to the judicial expert, applicants to the Judicial Institute are required to submit a number of documents to which all the posts in the State require. The most prominent of these documents is an "not-sentenced" document, which must prove the "cleanness" of the applicant's record of any infamous or malignant felony.


Fahd Al-Fareij

Official records of Zaman al-Wasl say that the defense minister of the regime is Fahd al-Fareij bin Jassem and Shaha, born 1950 (Hama, Badiya, Salameya).

Al-Fareij, who comes from the village of Al-Rehjan, was a retired officer until he was promoted to Brigade general in 2001 and then Lieutenant General in 2009. He did not begin to appear on the stage very slowly until he was appointed as Chief of Staff, replacing Daoud Rajha as defense minister, before he was killed the summer of 2012. Fareij again replaced Rajha but this time in the post of Minister of Defense.

In mid-July, rumors began to multiply about the deterioration of the status of al-Fareij, with the talk of the corruption of his eldest son, Khaldoun, and his involvement in large bribes, in exchange for exempting many from the army.

The rumors were reinforced in conjunction with Bashar's decision to cancel the clause allowing the Minister of Defense to exempt those whom he sees unfit. 

Doubts about the status of the Fareej have begun, with his absence from appearance since mid-July until the moment, with the exception of his appearance in a short clip as he visits a military division on the Army Day.
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29130 0 <![CDATA[Iran controls Syria's missile facilities]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29019 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29019 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 17:15:48 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29019
(Zaman Al Wasl)- The Israeli and Western media on Tuesday shed the light on Iran-run missile facilities in Syria, almost two months since Zaman al-Wasl news site had revealed an exclusive data and satellite images for Iran’s main long-range-rocket factories in coastal Tartus province.

The first research center for developing long-range missiles built by Iran in Wadi Jehanam, also known as the Hell Valley, the abysmal valley that separates between Hama and Tartus provinces.

Military experts from Iran, Russia and N.Korea are working to develop FATIH 110, The Iran-made ballistic missiles, Zaman al-Wasl’s source said.






 
In June, Bashar Assad has made a secret  visit to o a research center after visiting Hama city where he delivered Eid al-Fiter prayers, showing more confident after six years of daily bombing that claimed lives of half million Syrians.
 
The center is working on developing long-range missiles and it will be inaugurated by the end of the year, according to sources who provided Zaman al-Wasl by photos for the site.


 
The second Iranian facility was set up in al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban area, 25 km (17 miles) southeast Hell Valley.

A well-informed source confirmed that at the end of 2013, the regime began building new facilities to the north-east of Masyaf city in an area called al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban. The area includes the site of Project 111 which the source described as a failure. 
 
The source added that by the end of 2016 the regime began installing Institute 4000’s production lines, for the manufacture of medium range missiles (220 mm, 302 mm) at the site in al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban. These are the same lines the regime previously moved from lines the New Aleppo site to this site.


Read also:




 
Iran guaranteed to provide the necessary machines for the project regardless of whether the machines were damaged or the regime unable to transfer them from Aleppo for the project to begin production in early 2017, according to the source. 
Zaman al-Wasl’s source confirmed that the production of M600 long-range rockets known as Maysalun and Tishreen will be carried out at the Wadi Jehanam site, which is still being prepared for production. According to the source, the site is expected to be ready for production by the end of 2017.
 
The Assad regime has transferred the management of the Fourth Sector (which supervises the al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban and Wadi Jehanam sites) to a camp near the two sites. The move increased the sensitivity of the area and the security measures implemented in the area. The al-Sheikh al-Ghadban site is barely 25 kilometers south-east of the Wadi Jehanam site based on aerial photographs the source provided with his testimony. 


 
Dr. Aziz Esber manages this sensitive sector (the Fourth Sector), which lies within the strongholds of sectarian pro-regime areas.
 
According to the source, the transfer of the missile production lines to the pro-regime strongholds coincides with the demobilization of the remaining Sunni experts. The source indicated that Iran is training pro-regime personnel to compensate for the lack of experts who have either been demobilized or dissented. 



 
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/29019 0 <![CDATA[The Lost Truth of Syria's Nuclear Reactor]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28996 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28996 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 21:15:11 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28996 By Ali Eid 

(Zaman Al Wasl)- On September 6, 2007 Israeli warplanes attacked and completely destroyed al-Kibar Syrian military installation.

Israel was silence and also Damascus as if nothing serious happened, but informed sources reported that there is a big deception involving highly sensitive activity and hides the nature of that activity. So, what is the truth, and who deceives who? And what is that secret that almost disappeared near the banks of the Euphrates in the province of Deir al-Zour in northern Syria.



Zaman al-Wasl tried to investigate the truth after getting information from private sources that were still working in the regime and it found out there are other details that media did not address and hence we need to fill up the missing side of the story and information. 

In August 2012, the Israeli Channel 10 revealed-allegedly- that the operation took place after the storming of a Syrian scientist living abroad and the confiscation of his computer which contained details of the stages of building the nuclear reactor between 2001 and 2007.

The channel revealed that the Israeli government has held intensive talks with the US administration to coordinate how to eliminate the reactor Deir al-Zour. In a lengthy conversation between US President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, the latter told the former US president that his country would not accept the existence of a nuclear reactor in areas close to its borders and that it would carry out the bombing of this reactor, if not done by the United States.
For six years, experts continued to build an unknown facility inside the Syrian desert at al-Kibar site in Deir Al-Zour. The outer structure of the site was designed in a square form so as not to raise doubts about it.

The Syrian regime claimed at the time that the facility was just a regular military location, but Israel, the United States and European countries indicated that the target location is a project to build a nuclear reactor.
Zaman al-Wasl examined the truth about what the media reported about the various parties, and reached through experts and private sources to the existence of a process of lies and deception, and that the truth is otherwise.


-Uranium Bank-


After the search, the information showed that North Korean, Syrian and Iranian experts were working on the establishment of a safe bank for highly enriched uranium, and that the facility serves the nuclear project of Iran and North Korea outside the borders of the two countries in anticipation of any external attack so al-Kibar site was chosen as a bank in Deir al-Zour.

The bulldozing of the site of the facility after its bombing and the construction of a new building during a record-breaking period that did not exceed a month and a half that al-Kibar is not a regular military site, but at the same time does not fit to be a nuclear reactor technically, as revealed by Dr. Yusri Abu Shadi Who resigned from his job at the Atomic Energy Commission on the backdrop of accusing Syria of building a nuclear reactor.

Dr. Abu Shadi revealed a scandal in a book called "The Truth of the Syrian Reactor," in which he explained that the site could not be a nuclear reactor or anything like that, which contradicts the Israeli and American claims.

The deception appears in a television report of the Israeli strike, where fake footage taken from the images of a real nuclear reactor under construction in North Korea was shown, confirmed by Dr. Yusri Abu Shadi in his book.

The sources confirm that Bashar al-Assad instructed Brigadier General Mohammed Suleiman, the direct official at the Republican Palace, on the activities of unconventional weapons, to completely remove and bulldoze the area of the bombing and clean it from anything that would indicate that there is something unusual in al-Kibar.



-Dredging and plating-


The soil was drilled several meters deep and dumped inside the Euphrates River. The equipment, solid waste and equipment were collected and placed in special containers. They were later transported under the supervision of Korean experts to Taqasis in the countryside of Hama.

There, the residues were placed inside Building No. 2, and all the windows and doors were ironed, welded and permanently closed, and have been in existence ever since until today.

The decision was made to send an international team to investigate al-Kibar site. In anticipation of this step and to get out of the impasse, Assad ordered - at the recommendation of Korean experts - to immediately start construction of a similar square building. The operation took place in record-breaking time not exceeding 45 days and they put Fixed launch of Scud missiles in the building.

In June 2008, a committee from the IAEA visited the site and took samples at the request of several European States and America. The Scud Launch set up by the Assad regime to mislead the International Atomic Energy Agency were the same as those that were later captured by the opposition.

The IAEA committee did not arrive to a firm truth that there was a nuclear reactor in the building before it was destroyed , so it later requested another visit. This was rejected by the Assad regime until the opposition took control of the site and offered the UN the site at its disposal.


-Assassination of Abu Kamel-

Behind the story of al-Kibar is another story of the killing of security engineer for this facility Brigadier General Muhammad Suleiman, nicknamed Abu Kamel on August 2, 2008, and about ten o'clock in the evening by three bullets during his presence in the Chalet in the golden sand beach area of Tartous province.

Israel claimed through Channel 10 that it had killed Suleiman through a specialized team from the sea. Professor Michael Bar-Zohar, the author of Mossad ... The Big Operations," stated that Commandos from the unit of Shayetat-13 carried out the operation from the sea via two snipers.

After an investigation, it appears that the Israeli version of the story is incorrect. Sources within the security team who arrived at the scene indicate that the shooting was carried out by a sniper from within the golden sands and not from the sea, as the media has claimed.

The source confirmed that once the news reached Damascus, Major General Ali Mamluk, Director of the State Security Department, called the head of the State Security Branch in Tartous and ordered Suleiman to go to site and guard it and prevent anyone from violating or changing any details until Mamluk arrived in Tartous from Damascus.

A helicopter arrived from the Mezze airport. The three bullet holes that hit Suleiman were found near a fence of chalets close to the river in the north.

The impact of a four-wheel-drive vehicle across the river was found back and forth north of the chalets near the edge of the opposite fence at the same time as the execution of the operation.

The details as mentioned by a security guard of Ali Mamluk denies the circulated narrative that the sniper came from a boat by sea. Investigations confirm that the sniping distance was more than 100 meters and that Suleiman was sitting on the balcony of the chalet in the presence of only three people: his friend, his mother and his wife, not in a meeting for some officers as described in the false Israeli reports.

In addition, three bullets killed Suleiman. One hit him down the face to the neck and another in the head and another in his waist. injuring one of them in the head and the third in the side.

The conflicting the accounts and the words of Brigadier General Suleiman's wife and the security guard of Mamluk indicate that something has been hidden, which means that Israel might be behind the assassination but through its agents inside Syria.

Israel said it obtained the information of the site al-Kibar by hacking computer of one of the Syrian employees in the Research Center during his stay in the Austrian capital Vienna, but that the story remains doubtful, as a nuclear scientist should not be keeping pictures of Korean experts and the reactor from the inside such as those published by the Israeli Channel 10, which Egyptian expert Abu Shadi confirmed a real facility in North Korea.

The Assad regime lied in every detail and Israel also lied, which indicate a game in secret, a game of lies that require revealing the truth of what is going on and the reality of al-Kibar and the secrets of the assassination of regime engineer Suleiman.
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28996 0 <![CDATA[Syrian pilgrims exposed to embezzlement: documents]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28738 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28738 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 03:33:23 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28738
(Zaman Al Wasl)- During the pilgrimage seasons of the years (2013, 2014, 2015), nearly $ 400,000 of the accounts of the Makkah office of the Syrian Supreme Hajj Committee disappeared. However, these funds were soon recovered. There may be other amounts, which are close to the value, which have also disappeared and have not yet been disclosed.

That is what leaked documents obtained by Eqtsad tells the story of accounting negligence and administrative errors, may amount to misappropriation. The Syrian National Coalition knew and formed the commission of inquiry into the irregularities and abuses of the Syrian Hajj Committee, but the results of the investigation were kept secret. Some of those inquired are still working in the committee.

What happened during these Hajj seasons?

It began when the former director of Makkah's office, Abdullah Aqibik accusing his predecessor, Mohammed Khalid Koki, of being responsible for missing up to $ 400,000. When confronted with this, koki returned the majority of the $ 376,000, while another part, about $ 30,000, was deposited in a Saudi Arabian Airlines account. The last amount is still there without Makkah office being able to restore it due of the bureaucratic procedures of the Saudi airline.

Was it a embezzlement or just accounting and administrative errors?

The answer to this is still unknown. A former member of the Hajj Committee, spoke to us on condition of anonymity, that the activities of the former director of Makkah's office, Mohammed Khalid Koki, go beyond accounting errors and raise suspicion of embezzlement. But the source confirms that he has proof that there are amounts up to 500 thousand US dollars missing from the accounts of the Office of Makkah during the period of Koki management.

Koki’s back was covered and he was not held accountable because he was affiliated with an Islamist trend which has a lot of power within the SNC.

The source explains that figures in that trend insisted that what Koki did is only administrative errors and accounting negligence and does not amount to suspicion of embezzlement.

However, the source confirmed that Koki was still carrying out some tasks in favor of the Syrian Hajj Committee, under the guidance of its deputy head, Samer Birqdar, even after the accounting negligence, which amounts to nearly $ 400,000.

The source stressed that he does not accuse the Damascus Islamic current, referred to, of involvement in corruption (Cookie), but at the same time, and because of the loyalty (Cookie) to that trend, tried some of his symbols to roll the matter, according to the source.

We note here that Samer Birqdar is still managing the Higher Hajj Committee as Vice-Chairman of the Committee.
]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28738 0 <![CDATA[Iran runs secret missile facilities in Tartus: source]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28316 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28316 Sun, 23 Jul 2017 16:59:21 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28316 (Zaman al-Wasl)- Well-informed military sources provided Zaman al-Wasl with more information the Iranian long-range missile facility in Hell Valley, or Wadi Jehanam in Tartus province which also host several secret military projects.


The new information came as part of a response to Moscow and Iran, which tried through Sputnik, to refute reports previously published Zaman al-Wasl. Sputnik, which is an arm of the Russian state, drew on a Russian and an Iranian expert to deny Zaman al-Wasl’s claims. Sputnik and its experts referred to Zaman al-Wasl’s reports as mere “false allegations” aimed at igniting a conflict between Russia and the United States. Sputnik claimed Zaman al-Wasl portrayed Russia, North Korea and Iran as an “Axis of Evil”. 

The experts went so far as to argue that Zaman al-Wasl’s reports, they refer to them as “propaganda”, aim at inciting the Americans to bomb al-Assad strategic military sites. 





Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, a well-informed source confirmed that at the end of 2013, the regime began building new facilities to the north-east of Masyaf (5.5 km away), in an area called al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban. The area includes the site of Project 111 which the source described as a failure. 

Caption Box: “Zaman Al-Wasl will publish a short recording from al-Assad regime long-range missile production sites.”

The source added that by the end of 2016 the regime began installing Institute 4000’s production lines, for the manufacture of medium range missiles (220 mm, 302 mm) at the site in al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban. These are the same lines the regime previously moved from lines the New Aleppo site to this site.

Iran guaranteed to provide the necessary machines for the project regardless of whether the machines were damaged or the regime unable to transfer them from Aleppo for the project to begin production in early 2017, according to the source. 
Zaman al-Wasl’s source confirmed that the production of M600 long-range rockets known as Maysalun and Tishreen will be carried out at the Wadi Jehanam site, which is still being prepared for production. According to the source, the site is expected to be ready for production by the end of 2017.

In a related context, the regime transferred the management of the Fourth Sector (which supervises the al-Sheikh al-Ghadhban and Wadi Jehanam sites) to a camp near the two sites. The move increased the sensitivity of the area and the security measures implemented in the area. The al-Sheikh al-Ghadban site is barely 25 kilometers south-east of the Wadi Jehanam site based on aerial photographs the source provided with his testimony. 



Dr. Aziz Esber manages this sensitive sector (the Fourth Sector), which lies within the strongholds of sectarian pro-regime areas.

According to the source, the transfer of the missile production lines to the pro-regime strongholds coincides with the demobilization of the remaining Sunni experts. The source indicated that Iran is training pro-regime personnel to compensate for the lack of experts who have either been demobilized or dissented. 


Zaman Al Wasl previously published two exclusive reports, the first revealing Bashar al-Assad’s secret visit to the Wadi Jehanam site to see the progress of work on the site. The Wadi Jehanam site is located within the rugged terrain known as Hell Valley located in the countryside of Tartus on the border of several villages that are administratively subordinate to Banyias. 

The second report presented exclusive photographs taken of Wadi Jehanam along with information that Brigadier Ghassan Abbas is the director of the secret center under the direct sponsorship of Salam Tumah, the deputy director of the Center for Scientific Studies and Research.

The report recalled the testimony of a source from the Scientific Studies and Research in which the source spoke of Russian, North Korean and Iranian officers and personnel working in the region on top secret projects.

Zaman al-Wasl’s source revealed that he and others saw “large trucks enter the place carrying equipment and machines covered with wood,” and that the Russian and Korean specialists moved the equipment and machines to other trucks and covered them with tarpaulin amid heightened security from the Air Force Intelligence.”

]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/28316 0 <![CDATA[Photos for Iranian missile developing site in Tartus]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27901 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27901 Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:01:10 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27901 (Zaman Al Wasl)- Zaman al-Wasl has obtained exclusive photos for a research center run by Tehran for developing long-range missiles in coastal Tartus province.

The one-year-old center has been built by Iran in Wadi Jehanam, also known as the Hell Valley, the abysmal valley that separates between Hama and Tartus provinces.



Military experts from Iran, Russia and N.Korea are working to develop FATIH 110, The Iran-made ballistic missiles, Zaman al-Wasl’s source said.

In June, Bashar Assad has made a secret  visit to o a research center after visiting Hama city where he delivered Eid al-Fiter prayers, showing more confident after six years of daily bombing that claimed lives of half million Syrians.

The center is working on developing long-range missiles and it will be inaugurated by the end of the year, according to sources who provided Zaman al-Wasl by photos for the site.



]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27901 0 <![CDATA[Assad fights his mercenaries in eastern Hama: documents]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27679 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27679 Mon, 03 Jul 2017 02:55:28 +0300 https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27679 By Ethar Abdulhaq

(Zaman Al  Wasl)- When Wael Jakesh, one of the most dangerous commanders of the National Defense militia in al-Salamiyah city east of Hama province or perhaps even all Syria, was killed on June 5, 2017, he was celebrated as “a martyr of the homeland who died fighting terrorism.” However, few people were aware that Jakesh, was leading the National Defense intelligence apparatus in Salamiyah, and was under Russian intelligence observation as he was included in Moscow’s list of terrorist targets in Syria.

The Mercenary Pharaoh


Jakesh was considered a keeper of dangerous and deadly secrets that affect the various activities of the regime’s mercenaries in al-Salamiyeh and its surrounding areas. Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, a well-informed source suggested that Jakesh may have been killed by the Russians or at least pushed to his death for it to appear that he died in confrontations with the Islamic State forces.

Immediately after Jakesh’s death, two narratives emerged surrounding his death, the first claiming he died in a directed missile attack and the second that he died due to a landmine explosion. The first narrative disappeared quickly for the second to dominate without anyone delving into the details.

Zaman al-Wasl’s source draws his comments and suggestions from official information and lists now available to the newspaper. The official information shows that the regime imposed a travel ban on members of the infamous al-Salamiyeh mercenary group “to guarantee the rights of the state and victims, and based on Article 11 of the anti-terrorism law.” The Minister of Finance sent the directive to several public directorates including the Authority of Fees and Taxes, which in turn issued the official travel ban lists that include more than 160 people.

These official documents include the names of notorious mercenaries known for their crimes and violations in al-Salamiyeh and its surroundings. They are also known for their entrenchment and rebellion against the regime which armed, enriched and empowered them. Unless it is a situation where the regime wanted them to appear entrenched for it to appear unable to rein them.

At the head of the regime anti-terrorism list, is Mouseb Salama, the mercenary Pharaoh with his extensive criminal record, and the brother of Brigadier Abib Salama of the Air Force Intelligence.

Mousib Salama’s son, Firas Salama, is included on the list alongside several senior mercenaries from the Khallouf, Afifah, Dardar, Warda and other families. These mercenaries are all involved individually or in collaboration in committing murder, torture, kidnapping, intimidation, robbery, rape, skinning and burning among other crimes against many Syrians including against regime loyalists and even sectarian regime loyalists.

The regime issuing these lists to punish his mercenaries may seem surprising and somewhat strange, but this oddity gradually disappears once it becomes clear that the lists are the result of Russian pressure and even explicit orders.



The Intervention Mix


According to our special source, Russia continues its efforts to increase its, horizontal and vertical, entrenchment in Syria. After it established its foot in the coastal region and became the game changer in the area, the Russian bear’s fingers extended inland. The Russians found in al-Salamiyeh gangs of kidnappers, killers and looters who are led by mercenaries considered loyal to different parts of the regime and its auxiliary forces. These gangs operate despite the anger and resentment of most of the region’s residents and all those who pass through the area. Many complaints about these mercenaries have been raised, some to top regime officials and even Bashar al-Assad, but complainants found no response to their petitions or complaints.

Al-Salamiyeh then is a place where the gang’s impunity mixed with people’s complaints and the failure or enacted failure of the “government-state” offered a fertile ground for Russia's intervention. At the same time, the situation offers an important background for Moscow to appear as a rescuer and savior. Russia rushed to pass instructions directly to al-Assad for him to give orders to the “Terror Court” to deal with the issue, although this court is normally unable to approach thugs far less important than Mouseb and his followers. This court would not have intervened unless it received orders from up high as court employees want to avoid the rage of major military and security officers who benefit from and have invested in these gangs. It is only high-level orders that can counter the protective cover and shield the officers offer to these gangs.

On the one hand, these are explicit Russian orders which mortgage the reminder of the regime’s decision in Russian hands. On the other hand, it is a game that Bashar likes and perhaps even seeks as the regime armed, financed and overlooked the crimes of these people perhaps just for this stage of the war. With the end of this stage of the war, al-Assad wishes to appear as the “Dr. President”, a man of goodness and reform who does not accept mistakes. A man who does not remain silent about any violation even if it is perpetrated by those “protecting the homeland”, and will spare no effort to fight all those who distort the state's efforts to achieve stability and security.

In this sense, neither the regime nor al-Assad are ashamed to launch a campaign to discredit and reject thuggish behavior (tashbih), where the regime previously denied that such behavior even occurs in Syria. Al-Assad was unembarrassed to give a rhetorical speech to his ministers and officers as a president telling off his people for their entourages. The speech comes as a public charade with the sole aim of saying that everyone is bad, everyone has harmed Syria, and everyone has contributed to its destruction except the president who bears the burden of the homeland and its citizens. He is the only faithful and trustworthy authority who has committed no crimes and has never engaged in corruption.

Thus, al-Assad once again sacrifices his mercenaries who defended and protected him and his father, and punishes them for violations and crimes they committed based on his orders, his encouragement, and his condemnation at times! However, the punishment comes this time with Russian orders which al-Assad does not mind or disagree with executing because the orders serve him as much as the Russians. The Russians want to extend their control over areas in Syria and within state institutions, and the regime wants to benefit from its fight against these criminals after playing with their cards for a time and driving them into a position of baseness whereby their own people and supporters were not free of their violence. In fighting them, al-Assad emerges as the noble and good President who rid the victims of their violators, even if he is the lowest and basest of them. In one stroke of genius al-Assad becomes both the source of Syria’s disease and its cure.

In this report, Zaman al-Wasl presented the punitive lists and Russian orders, which is only one stage in a series of stages concerning the area of Salamiyeh and its environs. Zaman al-Wasl previously published reports about the area, and it will continue to publish more especially as the Russians are determined to turn their hidden intervention in Salamiyeh into a public and tangible intervention and presence. According to Zaman al-Wasl’s source, the Russians plan to establish military and intelligence bases in the area. Al-Salamiyeh with its vital location and population diversity will then remain the site for the intervention of outsiders in Syria once from the sectarians who came from outside al-Salamiyeh and settled in it and now from new invaders who crossed thousands of miles from outside Syria’s borders. These invaders come to impose their choices on the Syrian people under the pretext of combating terrorism and fighting mercenaries whom it was said and is still being said ‘fight terrorism’.






]]> https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/27679 0