He wanted to become an ordinary ophthalmologist, but fate intervened
After the death in a car crash in 1994 of
the oldest Assad son, Basel, the designated Air affairs al-Assad
asked Bashar to return home.
He gave up his studies in London and went back
to Damascus.
Seen as a shy intellectual, he found himself in the
role of successor, something that at the time his father
was ruling out.
No, I'm not preparing my son to succeed me.
He's never even spoken of it to me.
Maybe people are saying it because he's politically active.
I've heard that his friends like him and that the
people of Syria respect him.
But there is no article in the constitution or in
our laws that allows for a relative's right to succession.
The regime then adopted that constitution to suit itself.
Within hours of Hafiz Al Assad's death in June 2000,
the minimum age to become president was lowered from 40
to 34, which was Bashar's age.
He stood for election that year unopposed.
After three decades of dictatorship, Syrians were still unable to
freely elect their new president.
But some hope was in the air.
Shortly after his election, Bashar released 600 political prisoners.
He promised to open the economy up and to weed
out corruption.
It was known as the Damascus Spring, but it only
lasted a few months.
Assad junior soon picked up his father's habits and went
back to running what was a severe autocratic regime.
Did he do so, as some experts said, under the
influence of the Assad family?
A number of them were in the higher echelons of
power.
The country's security apparatus was controlled by his brother Maher
and his cousins Assad's sister Bushra and mother and Nisa
were also politically influential.
The Assam government crackdown on protests in the wake of
the Arab Spring.
It did so without mercy.
Unfortunately, when things go down to the street and dialogue
happens in the street and outside institutions, then chaos ensues
and the reaction to these acts becomes the issue and
what we call mistakes prevail and blood is spilt.
Civil war ensued.
He resisted.
For nearly 14 years, Bashar al-Assad maintained power through repression
and support from Russia and Iran.
He was toppled in an offensive by rebels that lasted
just a matter of days.