News feeds and other media give us the hottest topics. For several years, events in the Middle East have been ranked as such. The president of Syria became a bone in the throat of Western countries. Whatever crimes are committed in the region, the extreme is appointed. They do not even try to disguise this fact as diplomatic polites. Of the well-known capitals, there are open demands to remove him from his post. It is as if wedge light converged on one person. And who is he - the president of Syria Bashar al-Assad? Why was he so disliked in the western part of the world? Let's get to know him better.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: biography
They say that the East is a delicate matter. This peculiar world has its own rules. The fate of a person here depends on the kind in which he was lucky to be born. Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, was a brigadier general. A man respected and worthy. The future president of Syria was brought up in a large (by our standards) family. He had an older brother, who died untimely, which radically changed the fate of Bashar. He received a medical education and worked in a hospital located in a suburb of Damascus. I didn’t think about a political career. Even more. In 1991, the future Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose biography seemed successful, trouble-free and even enviable, went to the UK. He took a pseudonym so as not to draw too much attention to his person.
In Foggy Albion, the future president of Syria, by the way, unaware of the heavy share that would soon fall on his shoulders, improved his professional knowledge and skills. He was then interested in ophthalmology. Additionally, he became interested in computer science. He preferred to communicate with his fellow citizens, which is understandable for the person whose father was the president of Syria (at that time). Children of senior executives are often at risk of encountering other people's intelligence.
Sharp turn
Again, Bashar al-Assad did not plan for himself a career other than a medical one. This is important, since in the East it is not customary to give power to anyone who gets into it. Hafez al-Assad relied on the eldest son of Basil. It was he who was prepared for the role of the future leader of the country. But there was a tragedy. In 1994, Basil died. His death was an absurd, terrible accident. He had a car accident. Bashar had to return to his native land. It was necessary to support the family. Yes, and his father now needed a new successor. So, the practicing ophthalmologist involuntarily had to change his coat to his uniform. Syria, like other Middle Eastern countries, could be led only by the military. Bashar entered the academy, then went to the army. His career was swift. By 1999, he received the rank of colonel. The father insisted that the son master the wisdom of politics. Without the ability to influence others, to understand global trends and the intricacies of real relationships between those in power, the Syrian president will be "toothless." Consequently, inevitable death awaits his country.
At the head of state
Bashar al-Assad did not have much time to prepare for the new mission. In 2000, his father died. The cause of death was a heart attack. The next day, Bashar was appointed supreme commander with the rank of lieutenant general. This was the first step to the top. According to the basic law, the head of Syria is approved by parliament, the decision of which is confirmed by a popular referendum. But in the Constitution at that time there was an age qualification. This item had to be changed. The minimum age of the candidate was reduced from forty to 34 years. After that, Bashar al-Assad was elected Secretary General of the ruling party. Then nominated as a candidate for president. Parliament approved it a week later. And after a short time, a referendum was held, during which Bashar al-Assad was supported by 97% of the citizens. Further, the people reaffirmed their trust in the leader two more times - in 2007 and 2014. It was a very difficult time for the country and its leader.
Foreign policy
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad took the reins in a very difficult environment. In neighboring countries, revolutions flared. Syria itself, even with his father, lost part of the territory. Israel captured the Dutch heights. True, he left this area. But the world was not there.
Armed groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, whose aggression was directed against Israel, acted on the borders of states. Assad, President of Syria, has been repeatedly accused of supporting these unrecognized structures. He was charged with their support and funding. There are ongoing clashes in the Middle East. This is the nuance of this region.
And if the former president of Syria (Hafe Assad) pursued a rather aggressive policy, then his successor, the current head of state, seemed softer. He repeatedly proposed that Israel begin the negotiation process regarding disputed territories.
Things were not easy with the United States. The world hegemon decided that Syria is part of the Axis of Evil. Assad was accused of supporting Saddam Hussein. The bombing of Iraq ricocheted in Syria by political attacks from the West. Not one leader has publicly stated that chemical weapons are stored in Syria. Naturally, it was proposed to search for it with the help of cruise missiles.
Withdrawal of troops from Lebanon
Hafez al-Assad considered it his duty to protect the interests of his native country "on distant approaches." Back in the seventies of the last century, Syria was drawn into the conflict in Lebanon. There, the troops of the neighbors were friendly. However, in 2004, unrest occurred in Lebanon. Under UN pressure, Assad had to withdraw his soldiers from this state. The reason was the murder of one of the Lebanese politicians. However, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was well aware that the blow was aimed at the sovereignty of his state. They simply squeezed it out roughly, forcing them to lose ground. But in the world community he did not find support then. I had to retreat to my borders under the pressure of much superior force.
Civil War
In 2011, unrest erupted throughout the Middle East. The reasons were different. In Syria, the people were outraged by the behavior of one of the senior officials. Assad tried to explain to the excited population that all this was provoked from the outside, directed against the state. His voice was not heard. I had to use troops against my own population. The opposition quickly armed, gaining official support overseas. A civil war broke out in the country. Chaos and lawlessness reigned in those territories that had to leave government forces. The so-called Islamic State (an organization prohibited in the Russian Federation) is operating there. People are killed without trial, enslaved, women and children are sold.
Personal life
Bashar al-Assad married in 2001. He was familiar with the chosen one from childhood. The young families were friends and encouraged the communication of offspring. Bashar himself said that this is exactly the case when a childhood passion develops into love. They had three children. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife are considered a strong and stylish couple. They had to go through joy and sorrow together. Once, the Asad couple was gladly received in the western capitals. Then all kinds of accusations rained down on them. The media went so far as to suspect Asma (Assad's wife) of involvement in the untimely death of Princess Diana. When the war broke out in the country, the president sent his family abroad, and he remained with his people.
Failed intervention
The West was preparing Syria as a field of war. To do this, fomented revolutionary sentiment, spurred a civil war, supplied the opposition with weapons. In 2012, the official government was accused of using chemical weapons against civilians. The situation was critical. The UN decided to declare a no-fly zone over Syrian territory. This meant the death of the state and complete chaos. Russia stood up for its long-time ally. She applied the veto. The ax of the Tomahawks did not fall on the heads of Syrian citizens. But the war went on. The official government was losing territory. Millions of citizens left their homes. They fled from the terror of the so-called opposition. Some people tried to settle in the lands held by the Assad army, while others went abroad.
