Ali Mahmoud Abbas

Lieutenant General
Ali Mahmoud Abbas
علي محمد عباس
Ali Mahmoud Abbas in 2022.
18th Minister of Defense
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 April 2022
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Prime MinisterHussein Arnous
Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali
Preceded byAli Abdullah Ayyoub
Member of the Central Command
of the Ba'ath Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 May 2024
Deputy Chief of the General Staff
of the Army and the Armed Forces
In office
18 March 2021 – 28 April 2022
Defense MinisterAli Abdullah Ayyoub
Chief of StaffSalim Harba
Preceded byWasel al-Samir
Succeeded byMufid Hassan
Personal details
Born (1964-11-02) 2 November 1964 (age 59)
Efra,[1] Rif Dimashq, Syria
Political partyBa'ath Party
EducationHoms Military Academy
RCDS
Military service
Allegiance Syria
Branch/service Syrian Arab Army
Years of service1985–present
Rank Lieutenant general
UnitInternal Security Brigade
Armored Military College
Battles/warsSyrian Civil War

Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas (Arabic: علي محمود عباس; born 2 November 1964) is a Syrian senior military officer and politician who serves as the 18th Minister of Defense of Syria, succeeding Ali Abdullah Ayyoub.[2] He is a Sunni Muslim.[3]

Early life and education

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Abbas was born in 1964 in Efra, Rif Dimashq.[4] He joined the Homs Military Academy, specialization of armored vehicles in 1983. He graduated with the rank of lieutenant on October 7, 1985.[4] He first studied higher command in Pakistan in 1997. Between 2000 and 2001, he attended Royal College of Defence Studies in London, UK for postgraduate studies in national defense.[4]

He also attended academic international crisis management course at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College, Stockholm in 2003. In 2004, he participated at the course in directing the state's defense in the Royal College, Breda, the Netherlands.[4]

Military career

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He was promoted to the rank of major general on 1 January 2018 and the rank of lieutenant general on 30 April 2022. Upon his promotion to lieutenant general, he commanded the Internal Security Brigade for two years.[4] Following his promotions, he assumed the command of the Military Academy for three years. He has occupied a number of high posts, the latest of which as Deputy Chief of the General Staff on 18 March 2021.[5]

Minister of Defense

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On 28 April 2022, Presidential Decree No. 115 was issued naming General Ali Mahmoud Abbas as Minister of Defense replacing Ali Abdullah Ayyoub.[6] During the 2023 Homs drone strike Abbas was in attendance at the graduation ceremony but left before the attack.[7] He later visited the Abdul-Qader Shaqfa Military Hospital were several of the casualties were brought.[8]

Sanctions

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In June 2023, Abbas was sanctioned by the UK for “the systematic use of sexual and gender-based violence against civilians.”[9]

References

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  1. ^ "وزير الدفاع الجديد ينحدر من ريف دمشق من هو اللواء علي عباس؟". 28 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Syria names new defense minister: Presidency". Al Arabiya English. 28 April 2022.
  3. ^ Lund, Aron (23 May 2022). "Can Assad's New Military Appointments Help Rebuild His Regime?". The Century Foundation. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Prime Minister's Office. "Prime Minister's Office – Syrian Arab News Agency". Syrian Arab News Agency. Sana.sy. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Syria names new defence minister -presidency". Reuters. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  6. ^ "الرئيس الأسد يصدر مرسوماً بتسمية اللواء علي محمود عباس وزيراً للدفاع". مجلس الشعب السوري. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ^ "At least 100 killed in drone attack on Syrian military academy". Reuters. 5 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Funerals held in Syria for dozens of victims killed in deadliest attack in years". Associated Press. 6 October 2023.
  9. ^ "UK imposes sanctions on Syrian and Congolese officials accused of sexual violence". Financial Times. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
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