Mustafa Tlass

@Senior Officer, Timeline and Facts ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Mustafa Tlass is a Syrian army officer and politician who served as Syria’s Minister of Defense from 1972 to 2004 Syrian Leaders Political Leaders Taurus Celebrities Mustafa Tlass is a Syrian army officer and politician who served as the Syria’s Minister of Defense from 1972 to 2004. Born in a Sunni Muslim family, he joined the military academy after completing his primary and secondary education from a local school,. While at the academy, he met Hafez al-Assad—who later on went on to become the President of Syria—and struck a lifelong friendship with him which helped in establishing him as a dominant military officer as well as a strong politician in later years. When Assad was arrested by the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser post the breakup of United Arab Republic, Tlass escaped to Syria and helped in escorting Assad’s family to a safe location. Later in life, as Assad rose to prominence in the Syrian government, he appointed Tlass to the Baath Military Committee, giving him the command of a small armed division. Both the friends held on together, proving their loyalties through numerous political struggles which prevailed in Syria over years. Eventually, when Assad became a self-proclaimed dictator of Syria, Tlass joined his government as the new Minister of Defense, a post he held for more than three decades. Tlass also emerged as an important patron of Syrian literature and published several books of his own which were internationally criticized for their alleged anti-Semitic materials. After Assad died and his son succeeded him as the leader of Syria, Tlass resigned from his position and moved away from the political scenario.

Personal Details

Birthday: May 11, 1932 Nationality: Syrian Famous: Senior Officer, Syrian Leaders, Leaders, Political Leaders Hobbies: Tennis, Swimming, Horseback Riding Known as: Mustafa Abdul Qadir Tlass Childrens: Firas Tlass, Manaf Tlass Birth Place: Al-Rastan Information Detail Birthday May 11, 1932 Nationality Syrian Famous Senior Officer, Syrian Leaders, Leaders, Political Leaders Hobbies Tennis, Swimming, Horseback Riding Known as Mustafa Abdul Qadir Tlass Childrens Firas Tlass, Manaf Tlass Birth Place Al-Rastan Political Ideology Political party - Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath PartyWas a member of the original Ba'ath Party and it's Syrian Regional Branch until 1966 Religion Islam, Sunni Islam Gender Male Father Abdul Qadir Tlass Sun Sign Taurus Born in Al-Rastan Famous as Senior officer

Al-Rastan

Mustafa Tlass born at Unsplash Birth Place

In 1958, Mustafa Tlass married Lamia Al Jabiri, a member of the Aleppine aristocracy. The couple have four children: Nahid, Firas, Manaf, and Sarya. Unsplash Personal Life

Mustafa Tlass was born on May 11, 1932, in Rastan, near the city of Homs, to a prominent local Sunni Muslim family. His father, Abdul Qadir Tlass, made a living by selling ammunition to the Turkish garrisons during the Ottoman period. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He obtained his primary and secondary education at his village. In 1947, he moved to Homs and joined the Baath Party at the age of 15. He was drawn towards its secular, pan-Arabist doctrine and served as a preacher of its cause. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1952, he joined the Homs Military Academy where he met Hafez al-Assad, an air force pilot, and struck a lifelong friendship with him. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Between 1958 and 1961, during the period of the United Arab Republic merger between Syria and Egypt, Mustafa Tlass and Hafez al-Assad, along with many other Syrian Baathist officers, were stationed in Cairo so as to keep them away from political disruptions in Damascus. Unsplash Career

As keen Pan Arab nationalists, both the men worked towards breaking up the union, which they saw as unfairly balanced in the favor of Egypt. When the United Arab Republic was dissolved in 1961, several Syrian officers, including Assad, were imprisoned while Tlass managed to rescue Assad’s family and flee to Syria. Unsplash Career

During the 1960s, Assad began to participate in anti-regime activities and rose to prominence in the Syrian government through the 1963 coup d'état, backed by the Baath party. Subsequently, he promoted Tlass to high-ranking military and party positions through his connections. Unsplash Career

In 1965, as the Baathist army commander of Homs, Tlass imprisoned his pro-government comrades. Unsplash Career

In 1966, another coup by an Alawite-dominated Baath faction contributed in strengthening Assad’s position in the Syrian government which in turn gave Tlass more powers. Unsplash Career

Information	Detail
Birthday	May 11, 1932
Nationality	Syrian
Famous	Senior Officer, Syrian Leaders, Leaders, Political Leaders
Hobbies	Tennis, Swimming, Horseback Riding
Known as	Mustafa Abdul Qadir Tlass
Childrens	Firas Tlass, Manaf Tlass
Birth Place	Al-Rastan
Political Ideology	Political party - Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath PartyWas a member of the original Ba'ath Party and it's Syrian Regional Branch until 1966
Religion	Islam, Sunni Islam
Gender	Male
Father	Abdul Qadir Tlass
Sun Sign	Taurus
Born in	Al-Rastan
Famous as	Senior officer

Mustafa Tlass

Syrian

May 11, 1932

Biography

Personal Details

Al-Rastan