US and Lebanon hosting Syrian general wanted for war crimes: Report

The US and Lebanese intelligence agencies are reportedly harboring Bassam al-Hassan, a former Assad official accused of war crimes, according to a joint NPR and BBC investigation. Al-Hassan, who oversaw Syria's chemical weapons program under Assad, has been living in Lebanon since the Assad government was overthrown in late 2024.

The US and Lebanese authorities are providing him with financial support and protection, as he claims to have information about the location of American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012. Tice's mother has requested a meeting with al-Hassan, but US officials have denied her request. Other former Assad officials, such as Mohammad Makhlouf and Sakr Rustom, are also residing in Lebanon and the UAE.

The Tice family has expressed outrage at the use of US tax dollars to support someone involved in the use of chemical weapons against civilians, calling it "aiding and abetting the escape of a wanted war criminal."