Syria's new intelligence chief has announced a plan to dismantle the institutions he said were responsible for torture and corruption under deposed president Bashar Al Assad, as families told The National of abuse and disappearances under the old regime.
“The security establishment will be reconstituted again, after dissolving all security branches and restructuring them in a manner befitting our people,” Anas Khattab said, two days after he was made the head of Syria's General Intelligence Service.
He said Syrians had suffered “from the injustice and tyranny of the former regime, through its various security apparatuses that spread corruption”.
Syrian prisons were emptied of regime critics after the fall of Mr Al Assad as officials and agents of the toppled government fled the country.
Most of these centres are now guarded by fighters of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the rebel group leading the armed coalition that seized power in Damascus.
Syrians have rushed to prisons in the hope of finding traces of relatives and friends who went missing under the Assad regime.
Following years of anguish and quiet despair, some are now finding a long-awaited sense of closure. Previously unable to mourn out of fear of reprisals, families in the capital have been conducting rituals of remembrance for those taken by the “Mukhabarat”, as the intelligence services were known.
Ahmad Alama was just 24 years old when he was captured by air force intelligence in the Al Amara district of Damascus in 2013.
He was charged with setting up anti-regime social media pages and taking part in protests. His family received confirmation of his death in 2015, and for nine years, they were unable to honour his memory.
“I managed to get to someone who works in the air force intelligence, one of the regime’s most brutal security apparatus. He showed me the photo of my nephew, executed and with a number placed on his chest,” Ahmad's uncle, businessman Ammar Alama, told The National.
“He was not a criminal, or a fighter or anyone who ever carried arms, his crime was praying at the Tobeh mosque, in the district of Al Ebeh, and participating in an anti-regime protest. They were kids.”
A few days after the street demonstration, regime agents detained Mr Alama after raiding and smashing up the family home, the uncle said. “They broke it all, the lights, the windows, the washing machine,” he told The National.
“They took him to Mazzeh Investigations air force intelligence branch … When I managed to get a visit, he weighed only about 35 kilos and he was as thin as a stick. I wished that the pain would end for him when I saw him – his teeth were broken, and I didn’t even recognise him.”
Intelligence agents would commonly extort desperate families for big money by offering the release of prisoners.
“They asked for 20 million Syrian pounds back then (about US$100,000] to release him,” Ammar Alama said. “We were told Ahmad would be sent to a military judge and set free. But later we received information that all those who were sent from air force intelligence to Sednaya prison were executed upon arrival, up to 700 people, and Ahmed was one of them.
“The officers we tried to get to release him were upset as they lost a lot of money because it was a profitable business for them. We couldn’t even hold a funeral or a service for our boy and we were hounded by the authorities.
“It was a harrowing situation for us, we couldn’t even mention him and publicly we had to even disown him or they would start taking our other children,” Ammar Alama added. “If he was alive, he would be so proud that Syria is free again.”
According to UK-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 100,000 people died in Syrian prisons and detention centres during Syria's 13-year civil war.
After the Assad regime fell, bodies of the disappeared started arriving at hospitals from intelligence branches and prisons such as Sednaya, with families left searching for their loved ones among the corpses.
Shahd Bou Hassoun, a volunteer doctor at Al Moshtahed General Hospital in Damascus, told The National that many of the bodies were disfigured, showing clear signs of torture or injury.
“People have been supporting the families, and we’ve been trying to run things as smoothly as possible,” the doctor said. “As volunteers, we come to fill a gap and help people find some closure.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The five pillars of Islam
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
Prophets of Rage
(Fantasy Records)
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Wonka
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Poacher
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
