From Father to Son: Ruling the Syrian State

Introduction

By: Matthew RJ Brodsky

            Friday 21 January 1994 should have been a normal day for Dr. Bashar al-Asad, the son of Hafiz, president of the Syrian Arab Republic.  He was in London practicing ophthalmology when his world was shaken with the news of the death of his older brother, Basil, who was killed in a car accident in Syria.  His father Hafiz al-Asad also wanted to be a doctor when he was young but his family could not afford to finance his education so he settled for a military career instead.  In many aspects, Bashar was fulfilling his father's dreams much like his older sister, Bushra, who was studying pharmacology.  Since Hafiz's heart attack in 1983, questions about succession in Syria became an important topic.  Basil had been groomed to take his father's place; with his death, Hafiz's eyes turned to Bashar.[1]
            With Hafiz al-Asad's death on 10 June 2000 and the transfer of power to Bashar, many wondered what Syria would like in the 21st century after three decades of stable rule under Asad Sr.  Flynt Leverett described three conflicting images of Bashar that dominated analytic debates and policy arguments about Syria:
 
  1. "The Closet Reformer" - Bashar recognizes Syria's backwardness and wants to reform the system and improve relations with the West.  One view is optimistic and the other pessimistic about Bashar's chances.
  2. "The Loyal Son" - Bashar wants to maintain the status quo that his father fought diligently to protect.  As a product of his father, he seeks no fundamental change in Syrian policy or direction.
  3. "The Neophyte" - Bashar is an inexperienced leader incapable of ruling Syria.  He lacks vision.[2] 
            This work seeks to answer this question by examining the system and regime Bashar inherited and analyzing his decisions and actions of since assuming power in 2000.

 


[1] Bashar was born on 11 September 1965 and was the third of five children of Hafiz and Anisa al-Asad.  The firstborn was Bushra in 1960, followed by Basil in 1962.  Bashar's two younger brothers, Mahir and Majid, were born in 1969 and 1972 respectively.
[2] Leverett, Flynt Lawrence. Inheriting Syria: Bashar's Trial by Fire. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2005. pp. 18-21.