Syria: Alleged Coup Plot Leads to Military Reshuffle

A STRATFOR source in Syria reported July 11 that the top levels of Syria's army and intelligence service underwent a reshuffle in the past week. The move came after Maher al-Assad, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's younger brother and head of the Republican Guard, learned that elements within Syria's security apparatus were plotting a coup d'etat for August, the source said. The reshuffling was to be expected, particularly as Syria prepares for a major shift caused by its talks with Israel.