The Fall Of Bashar Assad After 14 Years Of War In Syria Brings To An End A Decades-Long Dynasty | rssama.com

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad fled nan state connected Sunday, bringing to a melodramatic adjacent his astir 14-year struggle to clasp onto power arsenic his state fragmented successful a sadistic civilian warfare that became a proxy battlefield for location and world powers.

Assad’s exit stood successful stark opposition to his first months arsenic Syria’s improbable president successful 2000, erstwhile galore hoped he would beryllium a young reformer aft 3 decades of his father’s robust grip. Only 34 years old, nan Western-educated ophthalmologist appeared arsenic a geeky tech-savvy instrumentality of computers pinch a gentle demeanor.

But erstwhile faced pinch protests against his norm that erupted successful March 2011, Assad turned to nan sadistic strategies of his begetter successful an effort to crush dissent. As nan uprising hemorrhaged into an outright civilian war, he unleashed his subject to blast opposition-held cities, pinch support from friends Iran and Russia.

International authorities groups and prosecutors alleged wide usage of torture and extrajudicial killings successful Syria’s government-run detention centers. The warfare has killed astir half a cardinal group and displaced half of nan country’s prewar organization of 23 million.

The conflict appeared to beryllium stiff successful caller years, pinch Assad’s authorities regaining power of astir of Syria’s territory while nan northwest remained nether nan power of guidance groups and nan northeast nether Kurdish control.

Although Damascus remained nether crippling Western sanctions, neighboring countries had begun to resign themselves to Assad’s continued clasp connected power. The Arab League reinstated Syria’s rank past year, and Saudi Arabia successful May announced nan assignment of its first ambassador since severing ties pinch Damascus 12 years ago.

However, nan geopolitical tide turned quickly erstwhile guidance groups successful northwest Syria successful precocious November launched a surprise offensive. Government forces quickly collapsed while Assad’s allies, preoccupied by different conflicts — Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine and nan yearlong wars betwixt Israel and nan Iran-backed militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas — appeared reluctant to forcefully intervene.

An extremity to decades of family rule

Assad came to powerfulness successful 2000 by a twist of fate. His begetter had been cultivating Bashar’s oldest brother, Basil, arsenic his successor, but successful 1994, Basil was killed successful a car clang successful Damascus. Bashar was brought location from his ophthalmology believe successful London, put done subject training and elevated to nan rank of colonel to found his credentials truthful he could 1 time rule.

When Hafez Assad died successful 2000, parliament quickly lowered nan statesmanlike property request from 40 to 34. Bashar’s elevation was sealed by a nationwide referendum, successful which he was nan only candidate.

Hafez, a lifelong subject man, ruled nan state for astir 30 years during which he group up a Soviet-style centralized system and kept specified a stifling manus complete dissent that Syrians feared moreover to joke astir authorities to their friends.

He pursued a secular ideology that sought to hide sectarian differences nether Arab nationalism and nan image of heroic guidance to Israel. He formed an confederation pinch nan Shiite clerical activity successful Iran, sealed Syrian domination complete Lebanon and group up a web of Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups.

Bashar initially seemed wholly dissimilar his strongman father.

Tall and lanky pinch a flimsy lisp, he had a quiet, gentle demeanor. His only charismatic position earlier becoming president was caput of nan Syrian Computer Society. His wife, Asma al-Akhras, whom he joined respective months aft taking office, was attractive, stylish and British-born.

The young couple, who yet had 3 children, seemed to shun trappings of power. They lived successful an flat successful nan upscale Abu Rummaneh territory of Damascus, arsenic opposed to a palatial mansion for illustration different Arab leaders.

Initially upon coming to office, Assad freed governmental prisoners and allowed much unfastened discourse. In nan “Damascus Spring,” salons for intellectuals emerged wherever Syrians could talk art, civilization and authorities to a grade intolerable nether his father.

But aft 1,000 intellectuals signed a nationalist petition calling for multiparty populist and greater freedoms successful 2001, and others tried to shape a governmental party, nan salons were snuffed retired by nan feared concealed police, who jailed dozens of activists.

Tested by nan Arab Spring, Assad relied connected aged alliances to enactment successful power

Instead of a governmental opening, Assad turned to economical reforms. He slow lifted economical restrictions, fto successful overseas banks, threw nan doors unfastened to imports and empowered nan backstage sector. Damascus and different cities agelong mired successful drabness saw a flourishing of shopping malls, caller restaurants and user goods. Tourism swelled.

Abroad, he stuck to nan statement his begetter had set, based connected nan confederation pinch Iran and a argumentation of insisting connected a afloat return of nan Israel-annexed Golan Heights, though successful believe Assad ne'er militarily confronted Israel.

In 2005, he suffered a dense rustle pinch nan nonaccomplishment of Syria’s decades-old power complete neighboring Lebanon aft nan assassination of erstwhile Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. With galore Lebanese accusing Damascus of being down nan slaying, Syria was forced to retreat its troops from nan state and a pro-American authorities came to power.

At nan aforesaid time, nan Arab world divided into 2 camps — 1 of U.S.-allied, Sunni-led countries specified arsenic Saudi Arabia and Egypt, nan different Syria and Shiite-led Iran pinch their ties to Hezbollah and Palestinian militants.

Throughout, Assad relied mostly connected nan aforesaid powerfulness guidelines astatine location arsenic his father: his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam comprising astir 10% of nan population. Many of nan positions successful his authorities went to younger generations of nan aforesaid families that had worked for his father. Drawn successful arsenic good were members of nan caller mediate people created by his reforms, including salient Sunni merchant families.

Assad besides turned to his ain family. His younger relative Maher headed nan elite Presidential Guard and would lead nan crackdown against nan uprising. Their sister Bushra was a beardown sound successful his soul circle, on pinch her husband, Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, until he was killed successful a 2012 bombing. Bashar’s cousin, Rami Makhlouf, became nan country’s biggest businessman, heading a financial empire earlier nan 2 had a falling-out that led to Makhlouf being pushed aside.

Assad besides progressively entrusted cardinal roles to his wife, Asma, earlier she announced successful May that she was undergoing treatment for leukemia and stepped retired of nan limelight.

When 2011 protests erupted successful Tunisia and Egypt, yet toppling their rulers, Assad dismissed nan anticipation of nan aforesaid occurring successful his country, insisting his authorities was much successful tune pinch its people. After nan Arab Spring activity reached Syria, his information forces staged a sadistic crackdown while Assad consistently denied he was facing a celebrated revolt. He alternatively blamed “foreign-backed terrorists” trying to destabilize his regime.

His rhetoric struck a chord pinch galore successful Syria’s number groups — including Christians, Druze and Shiites — arsenic good arsenic immoderate Sunnis who feared nan imaginable of norm by Sunni extremists moreover much than they disliked Assad’s authoritarian rule.

As nan uprising spiraled into a civilian war, millions of Syrians fled to Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon and connected to Europe.

Ironically, connected Feb. 26, 2011, 2 days aft nan autumn of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to protesters and conscionable days earlier nan activity of Arab Spring protests swept into his country, Assad e-mailed a joke he had tally crossed mocking nan Egyptian leader’s stubborn refusal to measurement down.

Related

SyriaWarBashar Assad