Military Intelligence Directorate (Syria)

The Military Intelligence Directorate (MID; Arabic: شعبة المخابرات العسكرية, romanized: Shu'bat al-Mukhabarat al-'Askariyya) is the military intelligence service of Syria. Although its roots go back to the French mandate period (1923–1946), its current organization was established in 1969. Its predecessor organisation was called the Deuxième Bureau (the Second Bureau). It is headquartered at the Defense Ministry in Damascus.

The military intelligence service, or the Mukhabarat in Arabic, is very influential in Syrian politics and is controlled by the President, Bashar al-Assad through the National Security Bureau of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Regional Command. It is suspected of providing support to different radical groups. The service also monitors opponents of the government outside Syria. MID is both a foreign intelligence and a military security/counterintelligence service. MID is responsible for providing intelligence on foreign and internal threats to the Government of Syria and the Syrian Armed Forces. During the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, the Mukhabarat exercised political authority in Lebanon.