Monday, August 08, 2005  What is Happening at the Ministry of
Interior?  Ghazi Kanaan was appointed to be Minister of the
Interior in the last government reshuffle on October 4, 2004 in
order to “strengthen” and consolidate the ministry. That was the
word from on high. But what did it mean? Some said he was given
the brief to bring order to the hydra-headed secret police that
had slipped out of the President’s control. The various branch
heads seemed to make their own decisions and carry out their own
policies, uncoordinated by any central authority – at least that
is how it seemed.  The multiplication of intelligence bureaus
under Hafiz al-Asad in the 1970s seemed designed to sew chaos
into the Syrian system of authority and undermine the rule of
law. In many ways it was a classic exercise in divide-and-rule.
In a security state, it was important to multiply the
institutions of security so each could watch the other and
ensure that no one security chief ever considered taking power
for himself. It was a way