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Fahd Jassem al-Freij
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Armed Forces
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 July 2012
President Bashar Al-Assad
Preceded by Dawoud Rajiha
Deputy Prime Minister of Syria
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 June 2012
Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab
Wael Nader al-Halqi
Preceded by Abdullah al-Dardari
Minister of Defense
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 July 2012
Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab
Wael Nader al-Halqi
Preceded by Dawoud Rajiha
Chief of the General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces

In office
8 August 2011 – 18 July 2012
President Bashar al-Assad
Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha
Preceded by Dawoud Rajiha
Succeeded by Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
Personal details
Born 17 January 1950(1950-01-17) (age 74)
Hama, Syria
Political party Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
Religion Islam, Sunni
Military service
Allegiance Flag of Syria Syria
Service/branch Syrian Arab Army
Years of service 1971-
Rank Syria-Feriq Awal Colonel General
Unit Armoured Corps
Commands Special Forces Operations Staff

Fahd Jassem al-Freij (Arabic:فهد جاسم الفريج) [1] (born 1 January 1950) is the Minister of Defense of Syria, taking office on 18 July 2012.

Early life and education[]

Freij was born in Hama in a Sunni Arab tribe on 17 January 1950. He joined the Syrian Arab Army in 1968, and graduated as an armoured corps lieutenant from the Homs Military Academy in 1971.

Freij attended different courses and a higher military education:

  • Bachelor in Military Sciences, Armoured Officer, Homs Military Academy, in 1971,
  • Staff Course,
  • Airborne paratroops course,
  • General Command and Staff Course,
  • Higher Staff Course (War Course).

Career[]

On 8 August 2011, Freij was appointed Chief of Staff of the Syrian Arab Army during the Syrian civil war. In December 2011, defected Syrian Army officers reported that prior to his appointment of Chief of Staff, al-Freij commanded the Syrian Army Special Forces in the regions of Daraa, Idlib and Hama during the Syrian uprising.

However, on 18 July 2012, after Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha was assassinated in the 2012 Damascus bombing, Freij was appointed by Bashar al-Assad to succeed Rajiha.[1] He was also named as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Armed Forces.[2]

References[]

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