Notorious Syrian Air Force Intelligence chief Muhammad al-Khouli dies in Beirut

Muhammad al-Khouli, one of the most prominent figures of the security establishment under former Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad, has died in the Lebanese capital Beirut, after a long career leading Air Force Intelligence and consolidating Damascus’s influence in Lebanon.

Al-Khouli had fled Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and settled in Beirut, where he remained until his death.

Born in 1937 in the village of al-Husnan near Beit Yashout, in the countryside of Latakia, al-Khouli was the eldest son in his family. His father, from the al-Haddadin clan, one of the largest groups within Syria’s Alawite community, was a religious figure in the region.

After graduating from the military academy and joining the Air Force, al-Khouli developed a close relationship with Hafez al-Assad, who was commander of the Air Force in 1964.

Along with Hafez al-Assad, he became a key figure during the 1966 coup that ousted the Baath Party’s leadership. He also participated in the 1970 coup against Nur al-Din al-Atasi and Salah Jadid, after which he was appointed head of Air Force Intelligence.

Al-Khouli later underwent training in East Germany between 1971 and 1973, before transforming the Air Force Intelligence into what became the most influential security agency in the country, and one of the most feared.

The service played a central role in brutally suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood uprising in the 1980s, and its operatives were deployed across Syrian embassies and offices affiliated with Syrian Arab Airlines.

He was regarded as one of the most trusted figures within the regime, with his office located adjacent to that of the president.

Dismissal

In 1987, al-Khouli was dismissed as head of Air Force Intelligence in connection with the Nizar Hindawi case, in which Hindawi was accused of attempting to bomb an El Al aircraft departing from Heathrow Airport. The incident led to the UK severing diplomatic relations with Syria.

Following his dismissal, al-Khouli was transferred to Air Force Command as deputy to its commander. He later remained as an adviser at the presidential palace, maintaining influence within the security apparatus.

In what was widely viewed as a reinstatement of his standing by Hafez al-Assad, he was appointed commander of the Air Force between 1994 and 1999. He retired from military service at the end of that period but remained within the regime’s inner circles.

Role in Lebanon

Al-Khouli played a pivotal role in entrenching Syrian influence in Lebanon during the years of Damascus’s dominance.

He acted as a liaison between Syrian authorities and several Christian factions and participated in the quadripartite committee formed by the Arab League in 1977 to address the Lebanese crisis.

Through the expansion of Syrian intelligence networks, he became one of the most prominent actors in Lebanon’s political landscape during that period.

Al-Khouli is widely regarded as one of the core architects of Hafez al-Assad’s security state and allegedly pushed the dictator towards structuring the state towards perceived loyal sects.

His tenure coincided with the height of the regime’s security grip in the 1980s, when Air Intelligence emerged as a central instrument of control. Later, the unit became key to Bashar Al-Assad's crackdown on opposition, with over 100,000 detainees killed in regime jails.