Mosaic News

Buy Me A Coffee
News without borders
Monday, 12 October 2026
Mosaic News is free to read — but not free to run. Your (monthly) donation keeps it going. →
Syria·Lebanon·Middle East·Human Rights·Diplomacy

BBC finds wanted Syrian general sheltered in Lebanon under US-backed deal

Thursday, 8 October 2026, 06:13 · 1 min read

A BBC and NPR investigation reports that Bassam al-Hassan, a former Syrian general wanted for crimes against humanity who oversaw the chemical weapons programme under ex-President Bashar al-Assad, is being housed and funded in Lebanon under an arrangement involving the FBI and Lebanese security officials. He is reportedly receiving residency, protection and money in return for information on American journalist Austin Tice, abducted in Syria in 2012, though sources say the deal has yielded little progress and a site he identified as a possible burial place turned up nothing. Syria's new government wants Hassan returned for trial, while Tice's family called the arrangement offensive; the FBI declined to comment, and the CIA and Lebanese security agency did not respond.

Sources
BBC World — US and Lebanon protecting wanted Syrian general, BBC finds ↗︎
This article was automatically compiled by AI from the sources above. It may contain inaccuracies. Always read the original sources for the full context.