Hussein al-Salama

{{infobox officeholder

| name = Hussein al-Salama

| native_name = {{nobold|حسين السلامة}}

| native_name_lang = ar

| nickname = Abu Musaab al-Shuhayl{{efn|{{langx|ar|أبو مصعب الشحيل}}}}

| office1 = Director of the General Intelligence Service

| term_start1 = 3 May 2025

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Anas Khattab

| successor1 =

| office2 = Acting Governor of Deir ez-Zor{{efn|Also responsible for Raqqa and Al-Hasakah.}}

| term_start2 = December 2024

| term_end2 = 7 January 2025

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 = Ghassan al-Sayyed Ahmed

| birth_place = Al-Shuhayl, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1984}}

| party = Independent

| otherparty = Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (until 2025)

}}

Hussein al-Salama,{{efn|{{langx|ar|حسين السلامة}}}} also known as Abu Musaab al-Shuhayl,{{efn|{{langx|ar|أبو مصعب الشحيل}}}} is a Syrian intelligence officer and former militant leader. He currently serves as the Director of the General Intelligence Service of Syria since May 2025.

Early life and education

Al-Salama was born in 1984 in the town of Al-Shuhayl in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate and belongs to Al-Uqaydat tribe. He holds a certificate from the Institute of Technical Supervisors, and a diploma in Management and Economics.{{cite news |title=حسين السلامة يخلف خطاب برئاسة المخابرات العامة السورية |trans-title=Hussein al-Salama succeeds Khattab as head of Syrian General Intelligence |url=https://www.almodon.com/amp/arabworld/2025/5/4/حسين-السلامة-يخلف-خطاب-برئاسة-المخابرات-العامة-السورية |website=Al-Modon |lang=ar |date=4 May 2025 |access-date=4 May 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250504152908/https://www.almodon.com/amp/arabworld/2025/5/4/%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%81-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9 |archive-date=4 May 2025 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=مفاوض "قسد".. من هو رئيس الاستخبارات السوري الجديد حسين السلامة؟ |trans-title=The negotiator with "SDF".. who is the new director of Syrian intelligence, Hussein al-Salama? |url=https://www.eremnews.com/news/arab-world/2zfw79x |website=Erem News |lang=ar |date=4 May 2025 |access-date=4 May 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250504000535/https://www.eremnews.com/news/arab-world/2zfw79x |archive-date=4 May 2025 |url-status=live}}

Career

Al-Salama was formerly a senior commander in Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. He later became affiliated with the Syrian government following the fall of the Assad regime and was appointed as the acting governor for the Governorates of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and al-Hasakah.{{cite web |title=حسين سلامة |trans-title=Hussein al-Salama |url=https://manhom.com/شخصيات/حسين-السلامة/ |website=ManHom |lang=ar |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250503214858/https://manhom.com/%D8%B4%D8%AE%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9/ |archive-date=3 May 2025 |access-date=3 May 2025 |url-status=live}} He resigned less than a month after the appointment, stating that he had refused from the beginning to assume the governorship, preferring instead to pursue a military path. He also stressed that the situation in the eastern region as a whole, and Deir ez-Zor Governorate in particular, is extremely complex, with many entities and countries harboring ambitions for it. He added that he would not be able to manage the work on all levels, and that the tribal aspect that dominates the social fabric in Deir ez-Zor has caused him great trouble in his work.{{cite news |title=محافظ دير الزور يستقيل من منصبه بعد أقل من شهر على تعيينه! |trans-title=Deir ez-Zor governor resigns less than a month after his appointment! |url=https://nahermedia.net/محافظ-دير-الزور-يستقيل-من-منصبه-بعد-أقل/ |website=Naher Media |lang=ar |date=7 January 2025 |access-date=3 May 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250503220136/https://nahermedia.net/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D9%82%D9%84/ |archive-date=3 May 2025 |url-status=live}}

Following an agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in March 2025, he was tasked with overseeing negotiations and security arrangements, particularly in the context of ongoing political and military developments in the region.

On 3 May 2025, he was appointed Director of the General Intelligence Service of Syria, making him also a member of the National Security Council of Syria.