A former Syrian general suspected of crimes against humanity and involvement in the Bashar al-Assad regime’s chemical weapons program is being sheltered in Lebanon with financial support and protection from US and Lebanese authorities.
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This is the conclusion of a joint investigation by the BBC and US public radio station NPR. According to the investigation, Bassam al-Hassan, a former senior adviser to Assad and the person responsible for Syria’s chemical weapons program, has been in Lebanon since the regime was overthrown in 2024.
His stay in the country is suspected to have been made possible by an agreement involving the FBI, as well as US and Lebanese authorities.
In exchange for protection, documents allowing him to remain in the country and funding for living expenses, Hassan agreed to share information about the abduction of American journalist Austin Tice in Syria in 2012, along with other intelligence.
A previous BBC investigation concluded that Tice’s abduction had been planned in advance and that Hassan was part of the command structure linked to the operation.
Sources cited by the investigation said that the former general is paid by US authorities through an intermediary. This method of transferring the money makes the payments difficult to identify, even though Hassan is subject to sanctions imposed by the United States itself.
The agreement is suspected to have been reached in the spring of 2025. However, people involved in investigations into Austin Tice’s disappearance say there is still insufficient evidence that cooperation with Hassan has produced significant progress in resolving the case.
Syria’s new government has demanded that the former general be returned to Damascus to face justice. According to the government, US authorities are insisting that he remain in Beirut.
The publication of this information has prompted a reaction from Austin Tice’s family. Phil Elwood, its spokesperson, said it was unacceptable for American taxpayers’ money to be used to provide a comfortable life for a person linked to the use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians.
“This is nothing less than aiding the escape of a wanted war criminal. Syrians deserve justice, and he should be returned to stand trial,” Elwood said.
