Syria’s Al-Sharaa reshuffles security and intelligence leadership

Government says the shake-up will strengthen security and clear the way for reconstruction.President Ahmed al-Sharaa has overhauled Syria’s security and intelligence leadership, expanding the powers of his interior minister and installing a new intelligence chief as part of a broader shake-up of state security bodies.The changes announced on Sunday saw Interior Minister Anas Khattab handed an additional role as head of the National Security Bureau, which oversees Syria’s various security agencies, while continuing to run the interior ministry, reported the state news agency SANA.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gulf states come under Iranian fire as US strikes intensifylist 2 of 3Iraq signs deals with Western oil firms, including to revive Syria pipelinelist 3 of 3Iraq signs 48 deals with US companies during PM’s visit to Washingtonend of listHussein al-Salamah was named the bureau’s deputy head, Mulham al-Shantout became assistant interior minister for security affairs and Abdul Qader Tahan was appointed head of the General Intelligence Service.Syrian authorities described the reshuffle as part of efforts to strengthen national security, promote stability and remove obstacles to reconstruction.The General Intelligence Service is responsible for gathering intelligence, producing assessments on domestic and foreign threats and countering espionage and terrorism.Its new chief now sits legally under Khattab’s authority, consolidating oversight of Syria’s security apparatus under one of the most powerful officials in al-Sharaa’s government.Omer Ozkizilcik, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project, told Al Jazeera that the reshuffle reflects an effort to formalise power structures carried over from al-Sharaa’s administration in Idlib, when Khattab oversaw both intelligence and policing duties that later overlapped with Salamah’s.