Adnan al-Malki

Adnan al-Malki (‎) (1918 – 22 April 1955) was a Syrian military officer and prominent political figure in Syria during the 1940s and 1950s. He served as the deputy-chief of staff of the Syrian Army and was one of the most powerful figures in the army and in national politics until his assassination, which was blamed on a Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) militant in 1955. At the time of his assassination he held the rank of Colonel in the Syrian Army.

Al-Malki's assassination led to a crackdown on the SSNP in Syria.

Early life Adnan al-Malki was born in 1918 to a wealthy and prestigious Damascene family. Al-Malki's family were originally North African Ulama trained in the Maliki school of jurisprudence.

Military career Adnan al-Malki graduated from the Homs Military Academy in 1935.

In 1953, al-Malki submitted a memorandum that Colonel Shishakli at the Damascus airport upon his return from Cairo, to release all political prisoners and end the one party rule. After al-Shishakli's authoritarian rule over Syria ended, al-Malki was reinstated in the army and promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff. According to Seale, the man behind al-Malki's assassination was actually Anisa Makhluf's first cousin, Badi' Makhluf. For this reason, he was subsequently tried, sentenced to death and hanged.

Legacy The SSNP was outlawed in Syria. The leadership of the party was arrested or exiled. The aftermath of the assassination also entailed a split within the party. A large statue of Adnan al-Malki was placed in central Damascus and a luxurious neighborhood was named after him by the Ba'ath party that came to power in 1963.