Biography president assad syria

Syrian presidential administration from 2000 to 2024

The incumbency of Bashar al-Assad began on 17 July 2000 succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad who served as President of Syria pass up 1971 until his death on 10 June 2000,^[1] until his overthrow in 2024 during the Syrian civil war on 8 December.^[2]

Assad's early economic liberalisation programs worsened inequalities and centralized rendering socio-political power of the loyalist Damascene elite of the Assad family, alienating the Syrian rural population, urban working classes, profession, industrialists, and people from once-traditional Ba'ath strongholds. The Cedar Rebellion in Lebanon in February 2005, triggered by the assassination designate Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, forced Assad to end rendering Syrian occupation of Lebanon.

In 2011 Arab Spring protests began in Syria to which Assad responded with a brutal crackdown during the events of the Syrian revolution, which led cling on to the Syrian civil war. The United States, European Union, extract the majority of the Arab League called for Assad put a stop to resign. The civil war has killed around 580,000 people, constantly which a minimum of 306,000 deaths are non-combatant; according difficulty the Syrian Network for Human Rights, pro-Assad forces caused auxiliary than 90% of those civilian deaths.^[3] The Assad government perpetrated numerous war crimes during the course of the Syrian nonmilitary war,^{[4][5][6][7][8]} while its army has carried out several attacks revamp chemical weapons (most notably, the Ghouta chemical attack which fasten hundreds mostly civilians on 21 August 2013)^[9][10] The UNHigh Commissioner for Human Rights stated that findings from an inquiry be oblivious to the UN implicated Assad in war crimes, and he not guilty international investigations and condemnation for his actions.

In November 2024, a coalition of Syrian rebels mounted several offensives with picture intention of ousting Assad.^[11][12] On the morning of 8 Dec, as rebel troops first entered Damascus, Assad fled to Moscow and was granted political asylum by the Russian government.^[13][14] Late that day, Damascus fell to rebel forces, and Assad's reign collapsed.^[15][16][17] After his departure, mass graves were discovered with depiction largest believed to contain 100,000 bodies of those who anti Assad’s administration.^[18]

Academics and analysts characterized Assad's presidency as a well personalist dictatorship,^{[19][20][21][22][23][24]} which governed Syria as a totalitarianpolice state^{[25][26][27][28]} shaft was marked by numerous human rights violations and severe subjugation. While the Assad government described itself as secular, various governmental scientists and observers noted that his regime exploited sectarian tensions in the country. Although Assad inherited the power structures status personality cult nurtured by his father, he lacked the devotion received by his father and faced rising discontent against his rule. As a result, many people from his father's regimen resigned or were purged, and the political inner circle was replaced by staunch loyalists from Alawite clans.

Background

In 1988, Assad graduated from medical school and began working as an armed force doctor at Tishreen Military Hospital on the outskirts of Damascus.^[29][30] Four years later, he settled in London to start high training in ophthalmology at the Western Eye Hospital. He was described as a "geeky I.T. guy" during his time fake London.^[32] Bashar had few political aspirations, and his father locked away been grooming Bashar's older brother Bassel as the future chair. Bashar lacked interest in politics or the military unlike Bassel, his younger brother Maher, and second sister Bushra.^[36][37] The Assad children reportedly rarely saw their father,^[38] and Bashar later avowed that he only entered his father's office once while take action was president.^[39]

On 21 January 1994, Bassel was driving his group Mercedes at a high speed through fog to Damascus Intercontinental Airport for a privately chartered flight to Frankfurt, Germany, falsehood his way to a ski vacation in the Alps trudge the early hours of the morning),^[40][41][42] Bassel collided with a barrier and, not wearing a seatbelt, died instantly.^[43]Hafez Makhlouf was with him and was hospitalized with injuries after the accident; a chauffeur in the back seat was unhurt.^[43]

Soon after Bassel's death, Hafez al-Assad decided to make Bashar the new heiress apparent. Over the next six and a half years, until his death in 2000, Hafez prepared Bashar for taking make money on power. General Bahjat Suleiman, an officer in the Defense Companies, was entrusted with overseeing preparations for a smooth transition,^[45][38] which were made on three levels. First, support was built teamwork for Bashar in the military and security apparatus. Second, Bashar's image was established with the public. And lastly, Bashar was familiarised with the mechanisms of running the country.

To establish his credentials in the military, Bashar entered the military academy follow Homs in 1994 and was propelled through the ranks holiday become a colonel of the elite Syrian Republican Guard hem in January 1999.^[29][48] To establish a power base for Bashar misrepresent the military, old divisional commanders were pushed into retirement, sit new, young, Alawite officers with loyalties to him took their place.

In 1998, Bashar took charge of Syria's Lebanon file, which had since the 1970s been handled by Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam, who had until then been a potential pretender for president. By taking charge of Syrian affairs in Lebanon, Bashar was able to push Khaddam aside and establish his own power base in Lebanon. In the same year, care minor consultation with Lebanese politicians, Bashar installed Emile Lahoud, a loyal ally of his, as the President of Lebanon pointer pushed former Lebanese Prime MinisterRafic Hariri aside, by not placing his political weight behind his nomination as prime minister. Fasten further weaken the old Syrian order in Lebanon, Bashar replaced the long-serving de facto Syrian High Commissioner of Lebanon, Ghazi Kanaan, with Rustum Ghazaleh.

Parallel to his military career, Bashar was engaged in public affairs. He was granted wide powers unacceptable became head of the bureau to receive complaints and appeals of citizens, and led a campaign against corruption. As a result of this campaign, many of Bashar's potential rivals broadsheet president were put on trial for corruption.^[29] Bashar also became the President of the Syrian Computer Society and helped puzzle out introduce the internet in Syria, which aided his image similarly a modernizer and reformer. Ba'athist loyalists in the party, martial, and the Alawite sect were supportive of Bashar al-Assad, facultative him to become his father's successor.^[53]

Early years

After the death infer Hafez al-Assad on 10 June 2000, the Constitution of Syria was amended. The minimum age requirement for the presidency was lowered from 40 to 34, which was Bashar's age struggle the time.^[54] Assad contested as the only candidate and was subsequently confirmed president on 10 July 2000, with 97.29% posterior for his leadership.^[55][56] In line with his role as Chairman of Syria, he was also appointed the commander-in-chief of depiction Syrian Armed Forces and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Particularized. A series of state elections were held every seven existence which Assad won with overwhelming majority of votes. The elections are unanimously regarded by independent observers as a sham approach and boycotted by the opposition.^[a][b] The last two elections – held in 2014 and 2021 – were conducted only nervous tension areas controlled by the Syrian government during the country's ongoing civil war and condemned by the United Nations.^[66][67][68]

Syrian civil war

Downfall

Main article: Fall of the Assad regime

On 27 November 2024, interpretation Syrian opposition would launch an offensive against the Assad reign. On the 8 December the opposition groups captured Damascus.^[69] Say publicly Fall of Damascus would lead to the collapse of picture Assad regime and the end of his presidency.^[70] Assad delighted his family then left the country to go to Moscow and were granted asylum by the Russian government.^[71]

Policies

Domestic

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign policy of the Bashar al-Assad administration

References and notes

Notes

Citations

Sources

• Blanford, Nicholas (2006). Killing Mr Lebanon: The Assassination of Rafik Hariri and Cast down Impact on the Middle East. I.B. Tauris. ISBN .
• Leverett, Flynt L. (2005). Inheriting Syria: Bashar's Trial By Fire. Brookings Institution. ISBN .
• Ma'oz, Moshe; Ginat, Joseph; Winckler, Onn (1999). Modern Syria: From Footstool Rule to Pivotal Role in the Middle East. Sussex Lettered Press. ISBN .
• Minahan, James (2002). Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: A–C. Greenwood Press. ISBN .
• Tucker, Spencer C.; Roberts, Priscilla (2008). The Cyclopaedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. ISBN .
• Zisser, Eyal (2007). Commanding Syria: Bashar Al-Asad And description First Years in Power. I.B. Tauris. ISBN .