Syrian Former Defense Minister Ali Habib passed away Friday morning at the Al Assad University Hospital in Damascus at the age of 81. His body was returned to his hometown near the city of Tartus, the official statement said. Born in 1939, Habib graduated from the military academy in 1962. During the 2nd Gulf War, he served as Chief of General Staff of Syrian armed forces 1990-1991. Then in 1993, he became the commander of the Special Forces. Prior to his retirement, Mahmoud served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from 2004 to 2009 and Syrian Minister of Defense from 2009 to 2011. Rumors say that he tried to resist the decision to use the army to crush Syrian protesters. His name was proposed several times as a prominent figure in shaping the political transition in the country. Notably, Habib commanded the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanese Bekaa against Israeli forces in 1982.