Bashar al-Assad: Syria's leader with over 50 years of family rule

Bashar al-Assad: Syria's leader with over 50 years of family rule

Bashar al-Assad, the authoritarian ruler of Syria, comes from a family that has been in power for over five decades. His sudden disappearance during a rapid push of the rebels indicates a remarkable shift in power in this strategically important Middle Eastland.

brutal rule

Assad is known for the brutal suppression of Syria, which has been suffering from a devastating civil war since 2011. This war not only devastated the country, but also led to the emergence of extremist groups such as ISIS and triggered an international deputy crisis and a refugee crisis in which millions of people lost their homes.

origin of the conflict

The conflict began to react to the massive pro-democratic protests during the Arab spring when Assad's regime refused. Instead, a brutal repression of the peaceful protest was initiated - thousands were killed and imprisoned in the first few months alone.

Since the beginning of the war, Assad's armed forces have been repeatedly accused of serious violations of human rights and brutal attacks on civilians, including the use of chemical weapons against their own population. At the beginning of the war, the United States, Jordan, Turkey and the European Union called for Assad's resignation.

international isolation and support

Despite international isolation and hard western sanctions, the regime kept in power, supported by powerful allies such as Russia and Iran as well as relentless combating opposition forces.

The horror that goes hand in hand with Assad's regime is symbolized by pictures of cheering celebrations that arise when rebels take control of Syrian cities. In Homs, videos documented by CNN how residents tear pictures of Assad and his father - scenes that are reminiscent of the symbolic pictures from 2011.

The climb to power

Assad took power through an undisputed choice after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who rose from poverty, led the Baath party and took power in 1970. Bashar al-Assad, who grew up in his father's shadow, initially studied ophthalmology in London and after the death of his older brother Bassel, who was intended as the successor, entered the national spotlight.

After the death of his father, the Syrian parliament changed the constitution within hours and lowered the age for the presidency at his age of 34, which gave him access to successor. Many observers in Europe and the USA were hopeful about the new president, who presented himself as a fresh, young guide.

The disappointment and counterfeits

These hopes were quickly disappointed when Assad maintained traditional relationships with militant groups such as Hamas and Hisbollah and the violent repression of pro-democratic movements began. In 2011, the then US President Barack Obama said that Assad's regime had chosen the “path of murder and mass arrest” and asked him for a democratic transition.

Assad was re -elected every seven years with an overwhelming majorities, most recently in 2021 in a election that was considered "fraudulent" by the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

civil war and international reactions

Assad's forces became known for brutal tactics in the course of the civil war, which began after the repression of the 2011 protests. In 2013, UN weapon inspectors brought "overwhelming and undeniable" evidence of the use of nerve gas in Syria. The then UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon called the attack on August 21 "the worst use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century".

The United States estimated that more than 1,400 people, including hundreds of civilians, were killed in this attack. Syrian Officials repeatedly rejected the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The devastating consequences of the conflict

The attack caused world powers to reduce the regime's chemical arsenal and then increased the United States its support for the Syrian opposition forces after Washington saw a "red line". Assad warned Western nations about supporting the rebels and predicted that one day they would fight against the USA and other countries.

The conflict is now a central component of Assad's brutal balance that has left hundreds of thousands of dead. The United Nations reported at the beginning of this year of more than 7 million internally displaced persons and over 6 million international refugees.