Exiled Assad loyalists plot to destabilise Syria's new government, report says Submitted by Reem Aouir on Fri, 12/26/2025 - 12:43 Intercepted communications show former senior figures, including Bashar al-Assad’s billionaire cousin Rami Makhlouf, are rebuilding armed networks and lobbying abroad A man stands next to a portrait of toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the capital Damascus on 20 December 2024 (Sameer al-Doumy/AFP) Off Exiled figures close to Syria 's former strongman Bashar al-Assad are plotting to "undermine the fledgling government that ousted them" and seize control of coastal areas, The New York Times (NYT) reported. According to intercepted phone calls, text messages and group chats, the NYT reported on Thursday that former intelligence chiefs and military commanders - many now based in Russia and Lebanon - were quietly rebuilding loyalist networks among the Alawi community, the sectarian backbone of Assad's former rule. The NYT reported that at the centre of the efforts were Suhail al-Hassan, the former special forces commander known as "The Tiger," and Major-General Kamal Hassan, the former head of military intelligence. Both men went into exile in Moscow with Assad, but intercepted communications suggested they remained actively involved in rebuilding influence inside Syria. Text messages reviewed by the NYT showed that al-Hassan had "met with collaborators in Lebanon , Iraq and even inside Syria over the past year". Some messages included handwritten charts listing fighters and weaponry in villages along Syria’s coast, with claims that tens of thousands of fighters could be mobilised. In several messages, al-Hassan signed off as a "holy warrior". Three people familiar with the plans told the NYT that al-Hassan was working closely with Rami Makhlouf, Assad’s billionaire cousin, who is also based in Moscow. Makhlouf is said to have helped finance the efforts while sending money to impoverished Alawi families along the coast and presenting himself as a protector of the community. How Israel's overreach in Syria could be its downfall Read More » According to the NYT, Ghiyath Dalla, a former commander in the now-disbanded Fourth Division, was also a key figure in the plot and was coordinating efforts from Lebanon. In one intercepted phone call in April 2025, Dalla was heard saying: "We will not begin until we are fully armed." Messages reportedly showed Dalla distributing around $300,000 per month to potential fighters and local commanders, with payments ranging from $200 to $1,000. He also sought approval to purchase satellite communications equipment worth more than $130,000. Other exchanges describe meetings with Iran-aligned Iraqi militia leaders to discuss smuggling weapons into Syria without attracting Israeli air strikes or detection by Syrian authorities. The communications also referenced aborted assassination plots and efforts to acquire drones and anti-tank missiles, including weapons said to be hidden inside Syria. Lobbying efforts The intercepted messages date back to April, shortly after a wave of sectarian violence on Syria's Mediterranean coast left more than 1,600 people dead, most of them Alawi. The killings followed coordinated attacks by former security forces against new government troops and were widely seen as a rallying point for ex-regime figures seeking to mobilise fighters. Some former government officials told the NYT they believed recruitment among Alawi would be possible, citing fear and economic hardship. Others cautioned that resentment towards Assad's rule remains strong after years of war. The report also said that Hassan was backing a foundation that had spent millions of dollars on lobbying efforts in Washington . Hassan is described by associates as backing the Beirut-based Foundation for the Development of Western Syria, which presents itself as an advocate for Syrian minorities and displaced Alawis. According to US disclosure filings, the foundation hired the lobbying firm Tiger Hill Partners and former adviser to US President Donald Trump, Joseph Schmitz, on a $1m contract. The foundation has publicised meetings with the offices of several US lawmakers, though aides said the meetings were routine and held with staff. People working with Hassan told the NYT he appeared more focused on building long-term political leverage than launching an immediate insurgency, including efforts to promote calls for "international protection" for Syria’s Alawi-majority coastal regions. Syrian officials monitoring former regime figures have played down the threat of a coordinated armed uprising, according to the NYT. Several diplomats said they were more concerned about lobbying efforts abroad, which they fear could gradually normalise calls for fragmentation or semi-autonomy if Syria’s transition falters. Since the new government seized power, Israeli authorities have sought to exploit Syria’s political transition by weakening the central control and encouraging fragmentation. Israel has intensified air strikes across Syrian territory, targeting military sites and key infrastructure, and has also signalled openness to working with armed actors in southern Syria - a move analysts say compounds efforts by former government figures to destabilise the country. Syria after Assad News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0