Ali Al Hajj

Ali Al Hajj (; born 1955) is a former major general and ex-director general of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces.

Early life Hajj was born into a Muslim Sunni family based in northern Lebanon in 1955. He was appointed the director general of the Lebanese internal security forces in 2004 by Interior Minister Suleiman Frangieh. He stepped aside on 22 April 2005 and was replaced by Ashraf Rifi. He was one of seven pro-Syrian officials whose resignations had been requested by the Lebanese opposition after the assassination of Hariri.

Controversy The first UN team investigating the Hariri assassination led by Irish deputy Garda Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald discovered that the wreckage of Hariri's six-car motorcade had been removed from the crime scene at midnight on 14 February 2005. It was also found that General Hajj after being appointed to the post as the head of the internal security forces reduced the number of state bodyguards of Hariri from 40 down to eight in November 2004. The reason for this reduction was given to be a letter from then Lebanese president Emile Lahoud and then Lebanese prime minister, indicating that Lebanese law should be applied on all levels and in all matters. They were arrested at the request of German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, who was carrying out the UN investigation about the assassination. They were released from the prison upon the order of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen due to lack of evidence. They were not charged with any crime.

Personal life Ali Al Hajj married Samar Al Hajj, who is a social activist. His son is a major in the Lebanese Internal Security Forces.