Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek

Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek (Arabic: محمد ناصيف خيربك, 10 April 1937 – 28 June 2015) known as Mohammed Nasif or Abu Wael,^[1] was the former Deputy Vice-President for Security Affairs in Syria.^[2] He was a close adviser of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and served as Syria's point-man for its relationship with Iran and Lebanon's Shia militias.^[3] Nasif was among several officials sanctioned by the European Union for the use of violence against civilians during the Syrian civil war.^[2]

Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek
محمد ناصيف خيربك
Deputy Vice President for Security Affairs
In office 2005 – 28 June 2015
President	Bashar al-Assad
Prime Minister	Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi
Succeeded by	Ali Mamlouk
Deputy Director of the General Security Directorate
In office 1999–2005
Succeeded by	Hassan Khallouf
Head of the Internal Branch (251), General Intelligence Directorate
In office 1963–1999
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Bahjat Suleiman
Personal details
Born	(1937-04-10)10 April 1937 Hama, First Syrian Republic
Died	28 June 2015(2015-06-28) (aged 78) Damascus, Syria
Resting place	Al-Laqbah, Syria
Political party	Ba'ath Party
Nickname	Abu Wael
Military service
Allegiance	Ba'athist Syria
Branch/service	Syrian Arab Army
Years of service	1957–1999
Rank	Major General
Unit	Infantry Military Intelligence

Background

Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek was born 10 April 1937 in Homs but his family was from the Alawite village of al-Laqbah near Masyaf.^[4] He was a member of the Alawite Kalbiyya tribal confederation, to which Bashar al-Assad belongs.^[5] The Kheirbek and Assad family are also connected by marriage. His brother Mu'ein is married to one of Rifaat al-Assad's daughters, Tumadhir. Mohammed was the head of the powerful Kheirbek clan who are represented throughout the Ba'ath Party and the Syrian security apparatuses.

Career

Kheirbek was a very close adviser to the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. He was the military attache in East Germany between 1971 and 1975. In the 1990s he was a central figure in relations with Iran and Lebanese Shiite militias.^[6][7] In 1999, he was appointed the deputy director of the General Security Directorate and then in 2005 became the deputy vice-president for security affairs. Two years later, the US froze his assets for contributing to the government of Syria's problematic behavior, which included support of international terrorism, the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and the undermining of efforts in Iraq.^[5] He was also reported in 2007 to be in charge of Syria's Lebanon portfolio.^{[citation needed]}

Syrian Civil War

In May 2011, Kheirbek was sanctioned by the European Union for the use of violence against protesters participating in the Syrian civil war.^[2] The following month, he reportedly traveled to Iran to meet General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, a division of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which conducts special operations outside Iran. They reportedly discussed creating a supply route that would allow Iran to transfer military equipment directly to Syria by way of a new military compound at Latakia airport.^[5]

Personal life

Kheirbek got married at an old age and had an only son called Wael.^[1]