NEWS: Ghazi Kanaan Commits Suicide

The Interior Minister of Syria, Brig. Gen. Kanaan, is reported by Syrian news sources as having commited suicide early Wednesday morning. Kanaan was a hard-liner within the Syrian autocracy, and also was part of the old guard. Kannan was the infamous head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon during the occupation of that country.
He was also under investigation for any involvment in the recent assasination of their former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.



Extremely interesting turn of events, considering the pressure that's been on the Syrian regime and also considering previous (and very sketchy and unreliable and perhaps ultimately false) reports about internal strife in syria. To me, it looks like this means that they're capitulating; I don't think anyone here beleives that this was an actual suicide, anymore than many beleive that Hariri was simply murdered without a connection to the Syrian government. Interestingly, CNN noted, as they reported this, that President Assad had just granted an interview to CNN. Perhaps this is all part of a collapse of the hardliners within the Syrian government and a corresponding strengthening of what might be a more dovish Assad faction.
Kannan also made a statement on Voice of Lebanon Radio just before his death, stating:
"I want to make clear that our relation with our brothers in Lebanon was based on love and mutual respect... We have served Lebanon's interest with honour and honesty,"

I also notice that Syria had been the focus of US policy in the region for a while not so long ago, but that the pressure on that in the media at least seemed to downtick, with an uptick in pressure on the Iranians following. Perhaps the Bush Administration had gotten Assad to assent to being more cooperative, and had now shifted attention to the other regional threat?

Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk
news.bbc.co.uk
faculty-staff.ou.edu
lebaneseblogger.blogspot.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Coup d' Etat took place in Damascus last night.
POLITICS: Lebanon Anti-Syrian Rally Draws Hundreds of Thousands
NEWS: Bush steps up pressure on Syria: Lays out demands
Coup in Damascus Followed by Media Blackout (unconfirmed)

Suicide eh? Id like to see the autopsy of that one: Lets see the suspect stabbed himself in the back 4 times then threw himself off a bridge. :shk:

Op gone bad, rouge General etc etc. It seems to me somebody was scilenced beofre he could give away any details.

Can't find a ton of info on the guy but is he part of the Alwhati (sp) clan that Assad controls?

[edit on 10/12/05 by FredT]

Its being reported as a gunshot wound to the head.


Prolly the back of the head with a bullet from a sniper rifle at a hundred yards.

Nygdan an ATS member brill started this thread; Syrian minister 'commits suicide'. In which member deltaboy posted this link

quote: Three hours before the news broke, Kanaan spoke to a Beirut radio station, denying reports in Lebanese media that he showed the U.N. investigators photocopies of cheques paid to him by the late Hariri.

"I think this is the last statement I might give," Kanaan said at the end of the phone interview with Voice of Lebanon.

"My testimony ... was to shed the light on an era during which we have served Lebanon. Sadly some media outlets have reported lies to mislead public opinion," he said.

"I want to make clear that our relation with our brothers in Lebanon was based on love and mutual respect ... We have served Lebanon's interest with honor and honesty."

(emphasis mine-Rren)

Seems, suicide or murder, he knew this was coming.