German politicians confused about chairmanship of Assad crony in german-arabic chamber of commerce

 Several politicians in Germany have voiced their astonishment after the discovery that Assad Crony Mohamad Hamsho holds the chairmanship in german-arabic chamber of commerce "Ghorfa". Hamsho is close to Maher Al Assad, brother of syrian president Bashar Al Assad.

Human rights experts blame him to have arranged expropriations of inhabitants of neighborhoods hostile to the government in Damascus in order to retreive metals of destroyed homes and reconstruct the neighborhood after displacement of the population, writes german newspaper WELT:

"What does a man who is not allowed to enter Germany do in the presidium of a business association based in Berlin? A man whom the EU accuses of “benefiting from and providing support to the Syrian regime”. A regime guilty of "continued brutal repression and violation of human rights"?

These are the reasons for the sanctions, which also affect the Syrian Mohamad Hamsho. He is the owner of the Hamsho International Group and a member of the Presidium of the German-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Ghorfa, which resides on Berlin's Garrison Church Square, with an impressive view of the Pergamon Museum.

Since the 1970s, Ghorfa has been mediating between German and Arab companies, advising them and acting as a door opener to the federal government for Arab business people. Ghorfa presidents are mostly prominent German politicians. Among them were the former Federal Minister Günter Rexrodt (FDP) and Carl-Dieter Spranger (CSU). The current president is Peter Ramsauer (CSU), ex-transport minister and currently chairman of the committee for economic cooperation and development in the Bundestag. In its self-portrayal, the Ghorfa writes that the Arab world is a region with great potential - “despite the many challenges in some Arab countries”.

Many Syrians would also see the business conduct of Ghorfa presidium member Hamsho as a challenge. Say the least. "Mohamad Hamsho has made his fortune through his connections with insiders of the regime and is on the side of Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad and others responsible for violence and intimidation in the current conflict," said State Secretary for Terrorist Finance at the US Treasury Department, David S. Cohen, when the US added Hamsho to its sanctions list a few years ago.

Hamsho's business activities range from real estate to trading in metals to breeding horses and ice cream. But according to research by the Financial Times, Hamsho's real capital is his close relationship with Maher al-Assad, the brother of the Syrian ruler. "Without Maher, Hamsho would be nobody," the newspaper quotes a former employee of the tycoon. And Maher is not just any relative of the dictator.

As the successor to his father Hafiz, who ruled Syria from 1970 until his death in 2000, his youngest son Maher was out of the question because of his violence, my experts. Among other things, he is said to have fired a gun at a brother-in-law during a dispute in 1999, who survived seriously injured.

Today Maher is considered number two behind Bashar, commanding the Republican Guard and the 4th Armored Division, an elite force in the Syrian armed forces and the main weapon in the destruction of any opposition to the Assads. But the 4th Division is also of central importance for Mohamad Hamsho's business.

According to the "Financial Times", after winning battles in populated areas, the 4th Division has the machines of the Hamsho Group drive into the destroyed districts so that they can capture metal scrap as completely as possible. But the division of labor between the businessman and the tank general may have another dimension that affects Germany's interests fairly directly.

The opposition news site "Saut al-Asima" reports that the 4th Division secured an entire district on the outskirts of Damascus for Hamsho after it was largely destroyed by government troops. Qaboun in the north-east of the capital was for a long time a bastion of the Syrian resistance, which was captured by government troops in long battles. Subsequently, militia loyal to the government under the control of the 4th Division prevented the fled residents from returning to their homeland so that Hamsho could build a new city district there with maximum profit, writes "Saut al-Asima", citing eyewitnesses, among other things.

According to the "Financial Times", after winning battles in populated areas, the 4th Division has the machines of the Hamsho Group drive into the destroyed districts so that they can capture metal scrap as completely as possible. But the division of labor between the businessman and the tank general may have another dimension that affects Germany's interests fairly directly. 

The opposition news site "Saut al-Asima" reports that the 4th Division secured an entire district on the outskirts of Damascus for Hamsho after it was largely destroyed by government troops. Qaboun in the north-east of the capital was for a long time a bastion of the Syrian resistance, which was captured by government troops in long battles. Subsequently, militia loyal to the government under the control of the 4th Division prevented the fled residents from returning to their homeland so that Hamsho could build a new city district there with maximum profit, writes "Saut al-Asima", citing eyewitnesses, among other things.

According to a report by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the notorious decree number 10 served as the basis for the demolition and new construction of Qaboun, according to which real estate property that is not claimed by its owners on site within a year can be expropriated. President Assad's order was condemned internationally because it was clearly designed to deprive opposition supporters of their possessions - and to prevent those who had to flee abroad from returning.

The federal government also protested sharply against the decree. After all, there are several hundred thousand Syrian refugees living in Germany. But in the presidium of the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce in Ghorfa there is an entrepreneur who may benefit directly from the fact that these people are being deprived of their original homeland.

Ghorfa President Ramsauer left a request from WELT AM SONNTAG unanswered and instead referred to Abdulaziz al-Mikhlafi, General Secretary of Ghorfa. He stated that according to the statutes, the Arab members of the Presidium would be elected by the General Assembly of Ghorfa on the basis of an election proposal from the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce. "There is no vote on individual members," said Mikhlafi. This proposal by the international umbrella association of Arab chambers of commerce also brought Hamsho to the Presidium in 2018.

In fact, Hamsho is the general secretary of the Syrian Chamber of Commerce. But usually it is the presidents of the Arab chambers, not the general secretaries, who sit in the Ghorfa Presidium. The fact is: there are by no means representatives of all 22 Arab chambers represented. So it is not imperative that Hamsho is a member of the Berlin committee.

Hamsho has never attended a meeting of the Presidium, said General Secretary Mikhlafi. However, in response to a request from WELT AM SONNTAG, the General Union of the Arab Chambers of Commerce will “make inquiries about Mr. Hamsho”. You reserve the right to take further steps.

Omid Nouripour, foreign policy spokesman for the Greens parliamentary group, told WELT AM SONNTAG: “The Ghorfa shouldn't jeopardize its reputation and have this man on the presidency. Hamsho is one of the most important financiers of the horror in Syria. Not only did he support Assad, but he also increased his wealth on the ruins of the cities and the broken backs of the people of Syria. "