Dia Hadid

She was with the children in the main building, the orphanage, and she says she didn't notice some of the children suddenly arriving or leaving. But Life Melody Complex actually did keep records of the security placement children who were transferred into their care. Copies of those records were handed over to the new interim government.

She was with the children in the main building, the orphanage, and she says she didn't notice some of the children suddenly arriving or leaving. But Life Melody Complex actually did keep records of the security placement children who were transferred into their care. Copies of those records were handed over to the new interim government.

An official showed NPR a list of 45 children who were placed there by intelligence agents. That official told us there was a stack of pages, an inch thick, filled with other names of other security placement children who were cycled there over the years. But the official didn't show us that stack of papers.

An official showed NPR a list of 45 children who were placed there by intelligence agents. That official told us there was a stack of pages, an inch thick, filled with other names of other security placement children who were cycled there over the years. But the official didn't show us that stack of papers.

An official showed NPR a list of 45 children who were placed there by intelligence agents. That official told us there was a stack of pages, an inch thick, filled with other names of other security placement children who were cycled there over the years. But the official didn't show us that stack of papers.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from members of the former Assad regime. They said, my life is worth the price of a bullet. During this investigation, I visited every single orphanage I could find in Damascus to figure out if there were patterns to these children being hidden away. One of them was Almobarra Nisaia, which is on a busy Damascus road.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from members of the former Assad regime. They said, my life is worth the price of a bullet. During this investigation, I visited every single orphanage I could find in Damascus to figure out if there were patterns to these children being hidden away. One of them was Almobarra Nisaia, which is on a busy Damascus road.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from members of the former Assad regime. They said, my life is worth the price of a bullet. During this investigation, I visited every single orphanage I could find in Damascus to figure out if there were patterns to these children being hidden away. One of them was Almobarra Nisaia, which is on a busy Damascus road.

Here, the director kept detailed records of the 50 children who were deposited by intelligence agents. Inside, director Rana Al-Baba is chatting to some colleagues when I met her in December. Compared to what we heard at the Life Melody orphanage, Al-Baba was sharply aware of the transfer of security placement kids into her orphanage's care.

Here, the director kept detailed records of the 50 children who were deposited by intelligence agents. Inside, director Rana Al-Baba is chatting to some colleagues when I met her in December. Compared to what we heard at the Life Melody orphanage, Al-Baba was sharply aware of the transfer of security placement kids into her orphanage's care.

Here, the director kept detailed records of the 50 children who were deposited by intelligence agents. Inside, director Rana Al-Baba is chatting to some colleagues when I met her in December. Compared to what we heard at the Life Melody orphanage, Al-Baba was sharply aware of the transfer of security placement kids into her orphanage's care.

Over bracing Turkish coffee, she tells us the first time an agent came knocking with a baby boy to hand over, she didn't believe it. She tells me, I even asked for the man's ID. I said, how do I know you haven't kidnapped these children? Al-Baba tells me, this man looks at her and says, you're asking me for my ID? Do you understand who I am? And Al-Baba says, it began to sink in.

Over bracing Turkish coffee, she tells us the first time an agent came knocking with a baby boy to hand over, she didn't believe it. She tells me, I even asked for the man's ID. I said, how do I know you haven't kidnapped these children? Al-Baba tells me, this man looks at her and says, you're asking me for my ID? Do you understand who I am? And Al-Baba says, it began to sink in.

Over bracing Turkish coffee, she tells us the first time an agent came knocking with a baby boy to hand over, she didn't believe it. She tells me, I even asked for the man's ID. I said, how do I know you haven't kidnapped these children? Al-Baba tells me, this man looks at her and says, you're asking me for my ID? Do you understand who I am? And Al-Baba says, it began to sink in.

Saying no to the Air Force Intelligence Directorate would be a death sentence. She says, they would have put us through their human mincer. They would have made us hamburgers or kebabs. Albaba says when the children arrived, they were sick, thin, dirty, infested with head lice, like they'd just come out of prison.

Saying no to the Air Force Intelligence Directorate would be a death sentence. She says, they would have put us through their human mincer. They would have made us hamburgers or kebabs. Albaba says when the children arrived, they were sick, thin, dirty, infested with head lice, like they'd just come out of prison.

Saying no to the Air Force Intelligence Directorate would be a death sentence. She says, they would have put us through their human mincer. They would have made us hamburgers or kebabs. Albaba says when the children arrived, they were sick, thin, dirty, infested with head lice, like they'd just come out of prison.

Al-Baba says in her orphanage for the first week, they isolated the kids with a caregiver. They called them housemothers, and the housemother would offer the kid new clothes, a pink pyjama or a blue one. Do you want a toy? What do you want to eat today? Fries? She says they wanted the kids to see they were cared for.

Al-Baba says in her orphanage for the first week, they isolated the kids with a caregiver. They called them housemothers, and the housemother would offer the kid new clothes, a pink pyjama or a blue one. Do you want a toy? What do you want to eat today? Fries? She says they wanted the kids to see they were cared for.

Al-Baba says in her orphanage for the first week, they isolated the kids with a caregiver. They called them housemothers, and the housemother would offer the kid new clothes, a pink pyjama or a blue one. Do you want a toy? What do you want to eat today? Fries? She says they wanted the kids to see they were cared for.