Husni al-Za'im (Arabic: حسني الزعيم Ḥusnī az-Za’īm; 11 May 1897 – 14 August 1949) was a Syrian-Kurdish military officer and who was head of state of Syria in 1949.

The defeat of the Arab league forces in that war shook Syria and undermined confidence in the country's chaotic parliamentary democracy, allowing him to seize power in 1949.

[3] Four days after the coup that overthrew democratic rule the Syrian government ratified the controversial Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline) deal.

The coup was carried out with discreet backing of the American embassy, concerned about the increasing presence of far left anti-democratic elements in the government, and possibly assisted by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, although al-Za'im himself is not known to have been a member.

Raising taxes also aggrieved businessmen, and Arab nationalists were still smouldering over his signing of a cease-fire with Israel, as well as his deals with US oil companies for building the Trans-Arabian Pipeline.

As al-Hinnawi took power as leader of a military junta, Husni al-Za'im was swiftly spirited away to Mezze prison in Damascus, and executed along with Prime Minister Muhsin al-Barazi.

When the quality of bread dropped to unacceptable levels, Zaim ordered all bakers to walk on the gravel, barefoot, until blood flowed from their feet.

Another sister Orfan, would visit them often, and took up the habit of playing with a guard, Abdel Hamid Sarraj (the chief of security at the president's office who went on to become head of the intelligence bureau and minister of interior during the union years with Egypt 1958–1961).

Less than a week before the coup—which led to the execution by firing squad of Za'im and his Prime Minister Muhsen al-Barazi—Nouran's cousins came to him, saying that they had confirmed intelligence information.