Hikmat Shihabi | |
|---|---|
حكمت الشهابي | |
 Shihabi in the 1970s | |
| Member of theRegional Command of theSyrian Regional Branch | |
| In office 7 January 1980 – 1 July 1998 | |
| 16thChief of Staff of the Syrian Army | |
| In office 12 August 1974 – July 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Yusuf Shakkur |
| Succeeded by | Ali Aslan |
| Head ofMilitary Intelligence | |
| In office 1970–1973 | |
| Preceded by | Ali Zaza |
| Succeeded by | Ali Duba |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1931-01-08)8 January 1931 |
| Died | 5 March 2013(2013-03-05) (aged 82) |
| Political party | Ba'ath Party |
| Awards | Hero of the Republic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Second Syrian Republic (1952–1958) United Arab Republic (1958–1961)Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963)Ba'athist Syria (1963–1998) |
| Branch/service |  Syrian Army |
| Years of service | 1952–1998 |
| Rank |  Colonel General |
| Unit | 10th Armoured Division |
| Commands | 10th Armoured Division |
| Battles/wars | Six-Day War Yom Kippur War Lebanese Civil War Islamist uprising in Syria |
Hikmat al-Shihabi (Arabic:حكمت الشهابي; 8 January 1931 – 5 March 2013) was a Syrian military officer who served as the chief of staff of theSyrian Army from 1974 to 1998.[1] ASunni Muslim, he was considered one of the few non-Alawite members of the inner circle of former Syrian PresidentHafez al-Assad.[2]
Shihabi was born into aSunni family in 1931 inAl-Bab,Aleppo province.[3][4][5] He attendedHoms military academy and then had advanced military training in theUnited States.[5]
Shihabi began his career in aviation, training in theSoviet Union and theUnited States.[3] From 1968 to 1970 he served as deputy head of the military security directorate.[6] In 1970, he earned a Soviet degree in intelligence services. In April 1970, he was named head ofSyrian military intelligence, with ColonelAli Duba serving as his deputy since 1971. He was promoted to a general the following year, and supervised the department of military security. After the 1973Yom Kippur War, he led the Syrian delegation to the United States in April 1974, negotiating the conditions of theSyrian–Israeli disengagement. On 12 August 1974, he was appointedchief of staff of the Syrian Army, replacingYoussef Chakkour, who was promoted to deputy defense minister. In December 1983, while PresidentHafez al-Assad was ill, Shihabi was part, along with GeneralMustafa Tlass and Ali Duba, of the committee in charge of running the country.[1] From 1994 to 1995 he was part of a delegation that traveled to the United States to discuss peace negotiations with Israel.[1] His term as chief of staff lasted until 1998.[6]
Shihabii was also one ofBa'ath Party's four-member “old guard” members of theRegional Command.[7]
On 8 July 1998, after serving 24 years as army chief of staff, Shihabi resigned his position ahead of Hafez al-Assad’s death and was succeeded byAli Aslan.[8][9] Citing health issues and a heart condition, Shihabi explained his resignation to President Assad, who had wished to extend his service.[10] In 2000, Syrian newspapers circulated rumors, later debunked, that Shihabi would be indicted on corruption charges.[11]
Shihabi was one of the senior Syrian officials who were close to lateRafik Hariri, former prime minister ofLebanon,[12][13] and Lebanon's Druze leaderWalid Jumblatt.[14]
Shihabi died on 5 March 2013.[3]
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