Hassan Choucair: Lebanon’s New Spy Chief Reshaping the Future of General Security
Ujasusi Blog Team
Introduction: A Transformative Appointment in Lebanon’s Security Architecture
On March 13, 2025, a major shift occurred in Lebanon’s security leadership as Brigadier General Hassan Choucair was promoted to major general and appointed Director General of the General Directorate of General Security. His appointment succeeds Elias Bayssari, who had been acting director general following the departure of Major General Abbas Ibrahim in 2023. Choucair’s rise marks a pivotal moment for Lebanon’s intelligence and security apparatus at a time of escalating regional tensions and persistent internal political rivalries.
As Lebanon’s new top intelligence official, Choucair assumes command of one of the country's most powerful and sensitive institutions. His leadership will not only determine the trajectory of national security policies but will also influence Lebanon’s fragile political equilibrium.
Choucair’s Mandate: Overseeing Lebanon’s Security and Administrative Core
The General Directorate of General Security (GDGS) plays a unique and powerful role within Lebanon's governance. Unlike agencies solely focused on intelligence gathering or counter-terrorism, General Security combines critical security operations with administrative responsibilities:
Border Security and Counter-espionage: The GDGS oversees the protection of Lebanon’s borders, manages threats from foreign intelligence activities, and combats terrorism and organised crime.
Civil Administration: It handles the regulation of visas and residency permits, issuance of Lebanese passports, and maintenance of civil status records, including birth, marriage, and death certificates.
This dual administrative-security structure places General Security at the intersection of state authority and national sovereignty, making it one of the most influential institutions in Lebanon’s government.
As Choucair steps into this role, he inherits a robust apparatus but also one fraught with political entanglements, public expectations, and the ever-present spectre of regional instability.
Leadership Legacy: A Lineage of Contrasting Styles
To understand the magnitude of Hassan Choucair’s appointment, it is critical to examine the leadership styles of his predecessors. Each shaped the General Security according to the political currents and security challenges of their era.
Jamil Al Sayyed (1998–2005): The Syrian-Aligned Strongman
General Jamil Al Sayyed's tenure was characterised by aggressive centralisation and deep loyalty to Syrian interests. Under his leadership:
Authoritarian Expansion: General Security expanded its surveillance operations, allegedly maintaining extensive files on both political figures and ordinary citizens.
Instrument of Political Control: Al Sayyed transformed the GDGS into a tool for political monitoring, widely feared across Lebanese society.
Modernisation: Despite authoritarian methods, his period also saw significant institutional reforms. In 2004, the United Nations recognised General Security as one of the top five official institutions in the Middle East for efficiency and transparency.
Al Sayyed's era left a powerful, if controversial, legacy of an omnipresent, deeply politicised security service.
Wafiq Jizzini (2005–2010): The Passive Administrator
Appointed after Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon, Wafiq Jizzini adopted a markedly different approach:
Administrative Focus: His leadership prioritised civil administrative functions and organisational restructuring.
Neutral Stance: Jizzini steered the GDGS away from direct political engagement, maintaining neutrality during a turbulent period of Lebanese politics.
Jizzini’s tenure depoliticised the agency to a degree but also reduced its influence compared to the Al Sayyed era.
Abbas Ibrahim (2011–2023): The Political Mediator
Major General Abbas Ibrahim’s leadership represented a synthesis of security operations and political manoeuvring:
Diplomatic Engagement: Ibrahim engaged with a wide array of regional and international actors, including Hezbollah, Syria, Qatar, and Gulf States.
Hostage Negotiations and Stability Efforts: His tenure saw the successful negotiation of hostage releases and significant counter-terrorism operations.
Political Balancing Act: Despite his ties to Hezbollah and Syria, Ibrahim maintained enough neutrality to act as a mediator between Lebanon’s competing factions.
Ibrahim’s ability to straddle the line between security chief and political broker made him one of the most powerful figures in Lebanese public life.
Choucair’s Dilemma: Choosing a Leadership Style
As Major General Hassan Choucair assumes leadership of General Security, he faces a fundamental question: which path will he follow?
Adopt Al Sayyed’s Authoritarian Model? Aggressively reasserting control over Lebanon’s fractured security landscape could restore order but risks political backlash and international scrutiny.
Replicate Jizzini’s Administrative Neutrality? Concentrating on internal management and minimising political engagement could stabilise the agency internally but diminish its broader influence.
Continue Ibrahim’s Political Balancing Act? Engaging with various political factions could strengthen the GDGS’s role as a stabiliser but requires immense diplomatic skill.
Given Lebanon’s delicate security situation and sectarian political system, each path carries profound implications not only for the GDGS but for the nation itself.
General Security’s Enduring Influence in Lebanon’s Shia Power Structure
Within Lebanon’s Shia political ecosystem, the head of General Security holds a role second only to the Speaker of Parliament in importance.
However, while the Speaker’s role—occupied by Nabih Berri for decades—is largely ceremonial, the Director General of General Security exercises tangible power in matters of:
National Intelligence
Counter-terrorism Operations
Public Security Management
Civil Administrative Control
Both Jamil Al Sayyed and Abbas Ibrahim used this position to build substantial political bases, at times rivalling even Berri’s influence within the Shia community. Their control over information, national security, and public perception afforded them extraordinary leverage in Lebanon’s fragmented political environment.
Hassan Choucair, by virtue of his appointment, steps into this powerful role. His future actions could either cement his position as a new powerbroker or restrict him to a technocratic security role, depending on how he navigates the intricate Shia political alliances involving Hezbollah and Amal.
Lebanon’s Sectarian Security System: An Entrenched Reality
Lebanon’s security architecture is deeply intertwined with its sectarian political system. Key appointments are carefully distributed along confessional lines to maintain a fragile equilibrium:
General Security Director: Shia Muslim (Hassan Choucair)
Army Commander: Maronite Christian (Rudolph Haykal)
Internal Security Forces Chief: Sunni Muslim (Raed Abdallah)
State Security Director: Roman Catholic (Edgard Lawandos)
This confessional distribution ensures no single sect can dominate the security apparatus. However, it also entrenches sectarian considerations into the core of national security decision-making, often superseding meritocratic or national interest priorities.
In this environment, Choucair must not only manage the technical responsibilities of his office but also navigate the complex web of sectarian expectations, alliances, and rivalries.
The Road Ahead for Choucair: Challenges and Opportunities
Key Challenges:
Maintaining Institutional Integrity: Preserving the GDGS’s operational independence amid political pressures from Hezbollah, Amal, and other factions.
Managing Regional Tensions: Lebanon remains highly vulnerable to regional conflicts involving Israel, Syria, and broader Middle Eastern rivalries.
Revitalising Public Trust: After years of economic collapse and political scandals, public confidence in state institutions, including security agencies, is extremely low.
Addressing Organised Crime and Terrorism: Lebanon faces serious threats from organised criminal networks, extremist cells, and cross-border smuggling operations.
Strategic Opportunities:
Strengthening Counter-intelligence Operations: Revitalising internal counter-espionage and surveillance mechanisms to better protect national sovereignty.
Enhancing Administrative Services: By modernising administrative functions (e.g., passport services, residency permits), Choucair could rebuild a measure of public trust.
Diplomatic Outreach: Leveraging the GDGS’s international partnerships, particularly with European intelligence agencies, to bolster Lebanon’s global standing.
Balancing Political Relations: A careful, pragmatic balancing act with Hezbollah, Amal, and other power centres could enhance Choucair’s longevity and institutional stability.
Choucair’s Defining Test
Hassan Choucair’s appointment as Director General of General Security comes at a time of extraordinary complexity for Lebanon. The choices he makes in the coming months will not merely define his personal legacy but may determine the stability—or further deterioration—of Lebanon’s security framework.
Will Choucair emulate Al Sayyed’s forceful command, Jizzini’s administrative pragmatism, or Ibrahim’s masterful diplomacy? Alternatively, will he carve out a new leadership style uniquely adapted to Lebanon’s contemporary challenges?
The stakes are high. Lebanon's future security trajectory hinges on how Hassan Choucair chooses to wield the formidable powers now at his disposal.