Syrian regime ordered assassination of Sheikh Abdul Wahed

A series of leaked Syrian documents revealed on Tuesday Syrian intelligence's role in the death of Lebanese Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed in May, reported al-Arabiya on Tuesday. It said that the cleric and his companion were killed at Syria's behest. One document, dated April 5, 2012, reveals a direct order from the head of Syrian intelligence in its Foreign Ministry, Bassam Merhej, to the head of operations in the same agency, Hassan Abdul Rahman, to carry out a number of orders. The first includes sending members of the Syrian Foreign Ministry's operations and intelligence bureaus to the northern city of Tripoli, said the al-Arabiya report. The second step entails surveillance operations that will be relayed to Merhej. The remaining measures entail determining a number of targets to be assassinated. The leaked document also revealed that Merhej issued a direct order to send an experienced officer to properly execute the mission. Furthermore, the document revealed another clear order to Syrian operatives in Lebanon to maintain tensions in northern Lebanon, namely Tripoli and the nearby regions. The Syrian officials also sought to create strife among the Lebanese people through the assassination of prominent figures from various sects. Another document, dated May 12, 2012, included an order from Abdul Rahman to General Shawki Makhlouf to carry out mission “8/23 as soon as possible, using a taxi.” On May 20, Abdul Wahed's vehicle was halted at an army checkpoint in the northern region of Kweikhat where he was killed. The Syrian opposition said that the officer responsible for the checkpoint is a close ally of the Syrian regime and was tasked with assassinating the cleric in coordination with Makhlouf. The incident sparked tensions between the residents of the North and the army, with the former blocking roads in outrage against the murder.