Raymond Azar (security chief)

Raymond Azar (born 1953) was head of Lebanese military intelligence.

Early life and education

Raymond Azar was born into a Maronite family in the mostly Christian village of Jezzine in 1953. He studied to be a priest before joining the army.

Career

Azar was appointed to head of military intelligence in 1998 when Emile Lahoud was elected president. He was at this post at the time of Hariri assassination.

Controversy

Raymond Azar fell under suspicion of playing a role in the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri a former Prime Minister of Lebanon. The Mehlis report included a witness as indicating that Azar, like Hamdan, provided logistical support for the assassination. He and other three generals including Jamil Al Sayyed were arrested on 30 August 2005. They were held in Roumieh prison, northeast of Beirut from 2005 to April 2009. It is argued that first loyalty of all four generals was to Syrian government rather than Lebanese government. They all were released in April 2009 due to lack of evidence.