The first time I heard the word "thug"

I have been expressing my outrage at the plight of the `Alawites of Lebanon: they have no defenders really because it is a small community and has no real sectarian allies (they are viewed religiously either as infidels or just plain weird).  And their leader, `Ali `Id is thug who aligned the community with the Asad regime.  The first time I heard the word thug was from Hanna Batatu who told me the story of `Id. He was his student at AUB before the civil war. He told me that he used to frequent a nightclub at Zaytunah in its heyday and noticed that a Saudi prince has a table there.  He cooked a scheme whereby he started a fight with the prince and his entourage and then claimed that he became disabled and sued the prince for a lot of money.  Batatu told me that he was healthy but would come to class in a wheelchair pending the verdict of the court.  He then told me that he was a "thug".  I asked what is a "thug", and he said: Az`ar.