"Advisor" to Syrian President Assad Assassinated

Suspected assassination of advisor to Syrian President Assad amid military reforms, economic crisis

Mystery surrounds death of Assad advisor; fingers point at Iran, Hezbollah and first lady

her troubles began when Iran and Hezbollah targeted her for suspected espionage.

Communications Advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Luna al-Shibl died of injuries following a car accident in Damascus, the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper Al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday night.

According to the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper, the incident was a deliberate accident, implying an assassination attempt.

The report stated that the driver of an armored car was arrested after colliding with al-Shibl’s car. Initially, the advisor was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including severe brain hemorrhaging. However, her condition later deteriorated, and the doctors announced her death.

According to a report on Ynet, Shibl was not popular and had accumulated dangerous enemies during her career. One of these enemies was Asma al-Assad, President Assad’s wife, who previously attempted to have Shibl removed from her position following rumors of an affair between the Syrian president and his advisor.

Another in the Syrian government who attempted to have Shibl removed was Assad’s media advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban. Furthermore, senior officers at the palace strove to deter military personnel from interacting with Shibl, and those who interacted with her were taken for interrogation, according to the report on Ynet.

SYRIAN PRESIDENT Bashar Assad attends the Arab League summit in Jeddah last month. (credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/REUTERS)

As the only Druze in the presidential palace, Shibl believed her close connections to the president would ensure her safety. However, according to reports, Hezbollah operatives in the country, with the assistance of Iranian personnel, made false accusations about Shibl, including that she handed sensitive information to Russian figures in the country.

Her brother, who was in a senior military position at the palace, was suspected of passing intelligence to Israel and is under investigation pending further decisions. Her husband was arrested shortly before he attempted to flee to Russia, on accusations of embezzlement and bribery.

Following the announcement of her death, Iran demanded four senior officers at the Syrian palace be arrested and interrogated by a senior Revolutionary Guard officer in the country.

"Luna al-Shibl enjoyed a special status, known as very vigilant and loyal to Bashar Assad. Only in the last month did her troubles begin, when Hezbollah and the Iranians targeted her, rightfully so in their view. It was clear the story would end in disaster,” Ynet cited a highly-placed source in Syria who escaped to a European country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's media adviser Luna al-Shibl, who has died after a car crash, is seen here at doomed peace talks in Geneva in 2014
Shibl’s car had been hit by an armored vehicle. The armored vehicle was fitted with a special device to facilitate ramming, which deliberately hit Ms Al Shibl.

Ms Al Shibl was originally from the Syrian Druze-majority province of Sweida.
In September last year, she travelled with Mr Assad on his first state visit to China since 2004.
Shibl was a part of Assad’s inner circle and accompanied him to high-level meetings in Syria and on trips overseas. 
Shibl’s role had been limited for a month at the time of her death due to Iranian dissatisfaction with her allegedly leaking information on Assad and Syrian officials’ meetings with Iran to Russia.
Syrian intelligence services had arrested Shibl’s brother, Brig. Gen. Mulham Al-Shibl, on the charge of communicating with enemies following the Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus in April.
Ms Shibl had meticulously planned her escape in stages: first, her husband would leave Syria and settle in the luxurious villa they purchased in Sochi, Russia.
Her brother, Mulham al-Shibl, an officer in the presidential guard in Damascus, would then visit. In the final stage, Luna would join them and settle in the villa in Russia. The Moscow authorities were aware of the plan and had given their consent.

Asma and Bashar al-Assad; Luna al-Shibl

However, last Tuesday, al-Shibl's vehicle was rammed by an armored car equipped with a sharp metal plate at the front while she was en route to the palace. The car struck the rear seat where al-Shibl was sitting, causing her serious injuries. She lost consciousness and was taken to a local clinic, then transferred to Al-Shami Hospital in Damascus. On Friday, three days after the accident, she was pronounced dead.

It has now emerged that al-Shibl had dangerous rivals. Asma al-Assad, the president's wife, had tried to oust al-Shibl five years ago without success. Rumors about al-Shibl's "special" role as President Bashar al-Assad's lover had also reached his wife. Additionally, Bouthaina Shaaban, the veteran communications advisor at the palace, had also made efforts to distance the young and talented competitor.

A group of Syrian officers loyal to the president at the palace worked to distance young officers from al-Shibl's influence. Each of these young officers is now undergoing investigations and faces lengthy detentions and military trials as part of the information-gathering network managed by the senior advisor.

The first ominous sign came with her brother Mulham's arrest. Shortly after, al-Shibl's husband, Dr. Ammar Sa'ati, lost his position as a professor at Damascus University. He was also arrested, interrogated, and placed under house arrest, thwarting his plans to fly to Sochi.

Luna al-Shibl and her husband are on the U.S. and U.K. blacklists, accused of transferring millions of dollars to overseas accounts as representatives of the Assad family. Her major troubles began only last month when Iranians in Syria started secretly surveilling her.

The only Druze at Assad’s palace

Al-Shibl, the only Druze at the presidential palace, believed that the security provided by President Assad, due to their close ties, would protect her life. However, Hezbollah operatives in Syria, along with senior Iranian officers, began fabricating charges against the presidential advisor. They accused her of passing classified intelligence to senior Russian intelligence officials and a senior Russian intelligence representative in Syria. This information reportedly concerned the locations of weapon and ammunition depots and preparations for Iranian military operations from within Syria.

Her brother Mulham, who secured his position in the presidential guard thanks to his sister, is suspected of passing intelligence to Israeli agents. He has been questioned and placed under house arrest pending a decision on his fate.

Ms Al-Shibl's husband was arrested a few days before his planned departure to Russia, charged with embezzlement and accepting bribes.

At the Iranians' request, four senior officers at the presidential palace were arrested and are being interrogated by a senior Revolutionary Guards officer who arrived secretly in Syria.

A high-ranking Syrian official, who managed to leave for a European country last month, told Ynet, "Luna al-Shibl enjoyed a special status, was known for her intelligence and was loyal to Bashar al-Assad. Her troubles only began last month when Hezbollah, followed by the Iranians, targeted her. It was clear the situation would end in disaster."

The Syrian official predicts that al-Shibl's brother and husband will soon disappear, following the usual Syrian method. "One might be executed while the other is imprisoned, or they might both suffer a 'sudden planned accident,'" he said.