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Greg Lauren

Amr Armanazi: The Socialite Dr. Mengele of Syria

The spelling of the last name seems quite fitting: Arm-a-Nazi.

A man who holds the title of Director General at the official-sounding “Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC)” in Damascus.

In Beirut in 2010, he participated in a meetings of the Committee on Scientific and Technological Development and Technological Innovation…under the banner of an organization called “Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which are sanctioned by the UN Economic and Social Council. 

He is even an alumnus of the prestigious International House on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a place funded by none other than the Rockefeller family, where socialite kids and top students from all around the world have been coming to live, network and form lifelong friendships since 1924.

A quote from the ‘About Us’ section on their website:

“Past Chairmen of the Board have included two former U.S. Presidents, three Secretaries of State, and a former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve…among I-House’s alumni have been some outstanding and accomplished figures of global renown that reflect the House’s diverse community, including Nobel prize winners and heads of state as well as award-winning authors, singers and actors.”

And apparently mass murderers as well.

Amr Armanazi (left) at an International House alumni reunion
Amr Armanazi (left) at an International House alumni reunion

The Syrian Studies and Research Center (SSRC) actually has been dealing with highly confidential military research since 1971. It worked with western business and research organizations during the 80s, until it was identified by US and French intelligence services with its numerous branches in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo. In the past decade, the SSRC has been headed by Armanazi, who started out as a computer engineer.

Armanazi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for
the first time when Assad headed the Syrian Computer Society. At the time, Armanazi worked with him as a senior official in HISAT, Syria’s highest institute for training for scientific professions, which also serves as a hotbed for research, development and assimilation of computer applications and communication systems for military institutions.

Among other things, the institute trains electronic and mechanical engineers, software engineers, aeronautics engineers, biology and chemistry experts and more. The departments that are of special interest are the nuclear departments, and the “Immunology Laboratory,” where Syria develops its biological weapons.

The Armanazi family goes back to the beginnings of Syrian regime. In the 1950s, his father, Najib, served as Syria’s ambassador to countries such as India and Egypt, occasionally bringing along both of his sons, Amr and Hayat.

From left to right: Colonel Sawaya, Amr Armanazi , Ambassador to Rome and Baghdad Haydar Mardam Bey, Ghayth Najib Armanazi, Colonel Hasan al-Abed.
From left to right: Colonel Sawaya, Amr Armanazi , Ambassador to Rome and Baghdad Haydar Mardam Bey, Ghayth Najib Armanazi, Colonel Hasan al-Abed.

As of 2001, Amr Armanazi was put in charge as the head of the Technological Branch for Military Targets, as well as establishing professional contact with officials in the North Korean national academy for sciences. He established a “shell” firm “Namchongang Engineering Services” in Damascus, which he used to advance Syria’s nuclear program with the help of North Korea…a program that was recently crippled by the Israeli Air Force.

In 2007, the US State Department listed the SSRC under the classification of Executive Order 13382, which was signed by President George W. Bush on June 29, 2005, for the purpose of freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, and isolating them financially.

On September 29th, 2012, the US Department of Treasury used this executive order to place Amr Armanazi under this designation.

In February 2013, Amr Armanazi had an additional designation placed on him, once again by the State Department.

The following is from the US Embassy press release in 2012:

“The SSRC is the Syrian government agency responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The SSRC also has a public civilian research function; however, its activities focus on the development of biological weapons, chemical weapons and missiles. During his tenure, Armanazi oversaw a facility that was involved in the production of sarin nerve agent.

This happens to be the same gas was loaded last week onto rockets that were dropped on a rebel-controlled suburb of Damascus, causing the death of approximately 1,500 residents, among them entire families.

If you’re not going to go after the Assad regime, the don’t go at all
A slap on the wrist with cruise missiles will not scare this group. Al Qaeda aka FSA have been dining on the hearts (literally) of Syrian troops…so cruise missiles would be terms of endearment in this case.

And if their retaliation will be to target Israel in any case, then you may as well use full force.

 

 

About the Author
Born in Ukraine and grew up in the NYC metro area. After working as a trader on Wall St. for 8 years, made aliyah in 2010. After living in Jerusalem, Tzvi returned to NYC and started a company to import boutique wines from Judea & Samaria. He uses his business and my website TheNationofIsrael.com as a vehicle educate young Jews about Israel, the Middle East and Judaism. His ultimate goal is to return to Israel and inspire young Russian-speaking Jews in the US to make aliyah.