▁ 2 ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁mat ernal ▁cousin ▁of ▁Sy rian ▁president ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad ▁and ▁the ▁brother ▁of ▁R ami ▁Mak hl ou f , ▁Sy ria ' s ▁leading ▁business man . ▁He ▁was ▁commission ed ▁in ▁the ▁Republican ▁Guard ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁close ▁friend ▁of ▁Bass el ▁al - Ass ad . ▁Mak hl ou f ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁high - speed ▁car ▁crash ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁that ▁killed ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad ' s ▁elder ▁brother , ▁Bass el ▁al - Ass ad . ▁ ▁Career ▁Mak hl ou f ▁was ▁a ▁Colonel ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁and ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁intelligence ▁at ▁the ▁General ▁Security ▁Director ate ' s ▁Dam asc us ▁branch ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁Mak hl ou f ▁was ▁san ction ed ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁for ▁" und erm ining ▁the ▁so vere ig nt y ▁of ▁Leb anon ▁or ▁its ▁dem ocr atic ▁processes ▁and ▁institutions ." ▁The ▁san ctions ▁called ▁for ▁free zing ▁" any ▁assets ▁the ▁des igne es ▁may ▁have ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ", ▁and ▁prohib ited ▁U . S . ▁persons ▁from ▁eng aging ▁in ▁transactions ▁with ▁these ▁individuals ". ▁ ▁Swiss ▁authorities ▁fro ze ▁Ha fe z ▁Mak hl ou f ' s ▁account ▁of ▁about