Syria: Fired Defense Minister Found Dead

Syrian opposition sources claimed on Tuesday that General Ali Habib was found dead in his home a day after being dismissed as defense minister. On Monday, Syrian President Bashar Assad appointed army chief Dawood Rajha to replace Habib.

The SANA news agency reported Monday that Habib had been suffering from a deterioration in his health.

Since his ouster was announced, many rumors surrounding the issue have surfaced. London-based daily al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that Habib was replaced due to his objection to allow military forces into the protest city of Hama.

The report added that Habib’s position delayed the army from carrying out the operation.

The source also said that a new minister was “probably assigned because there were arguments on how to handle the [Syrian] crisis.”