By the time Bashar al-Assad became President of Syria in June 2000 after the death of his father , Hafez al-Assad , Shawkat was widely considered one of the most powerful people in Syria . In 2001 , Shawkat was named Deputy Director of Military Intelligence , one of the main branches of the Syrian intelligence apparatus . His portfolio included liaising with militant Palestinian groups , such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad , and he was a key architect of Syria 's dominance of Lebanon . After the 11 September 2001 attacks , Shawkat was a primary contact with intelligence agencies in the United States and Europe and coordinated a US intelligence operation in Syria , which was shut down after relations between the two countries irremediably deteriorated
11 September 2001 attacks
September 11 attacks
Assef Shawkat