Syrian general accused of atrocities paid and protected by US and Lebanon, BBC finds
A BBC investigation reveals that a former Syrian general accused of war crimes is being protected by US and Lebanese authorities in exchange for intelligence. The arrangement has drawn criticism from the family of abducted journalist Austin Tice, who argue it facilitates impunity for human rights abuses.
Why it matters
The report raises significant ethical and legal questions regarding the use of intelligence-gathering tactics that involve protecting individuals accused of crimes against humanity.
Image caption, Bassam al-Hassan is wanted for crimes against humanity during Syria's Assad regime
A former Syrian general wanted for crimes against humanity , external is being bankrolled and protected by the US and Lebanese authorities, a BBC News investigation has found.
Bassam al-Hassan, who oversaw Syria's chemical weapons programme and was a senior adviser to former President Bashar al-Assad, is being harboured in Lebanon following the Assad regime's collapse in 2024.
An investigation by the BBC and the US broadcaster NPR has discovered that Hassan has been allowed to remain there under an arrangement involving the FBI, and other US and Lebanese authorities. This is because of his willingness to provide information about the abduction of American journalist Austin Tice in Syria in 2012, as well as additional intelligence, we have been told.
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