Ghazi Kanaan: The Man Who Owned Lebanon

When Syrian forces occupied Lebanon after 1976, and especially after 1982, they needed a political intelligence coordinator to manage Lebanon as a Syrian protectorate. Kanaan was appointed to that role and ran Syria's intelligence operations in Lebanon for two full decades. His base was the Syrian intelligence compound in Anjar, in the eastern Bekaa Valley. From there, he effectively determined who could and could not serve in Lebanese government, who was assassinated and who was protected, which militias received Syrian support. According to multiple accounts including the UN's Mehlis Report, Lebanese politicians regularly made the trip to Anjar to receive instructions. Kanaan reportedly extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from Lebanese business and political figures. He was also responsible for managing Syria's relationships with Hezbollah, Amal, and the various Palestinian factions operating from Lebanese soil.