The end of a decades-long dynasty – The rise and fall of Bashar al-Assad

How we arrived on the collapse of the Assad regime

The tip of a decades-long dynasty is marked by the dramatic exit of the Syrian president from the nation, after the advance of the anti-government jihadist armed forces of the opposition which in just some 24 hours led to the collapse of the Assad regime.

Bashar al-Assad, along with his escape on Sunday, December 8, 2024 from the nation, completes his wrestle to remain in energy after 14 years and whereas his nation was fragmented in a brutal civil struggle that grew to become a battleground for regional and worldwide forces.

When Assad got here to energy in 2000, many noticed in him a promising younger reformer who would break along with his father's previous. Simply 34 years outdated, the Western-educated ophthalmologist was a pc and know-how fanatic with a genial demeanor.

This physiognomy modified, when in March 2011 the anti-regime forces rebelled. The insurrection shortly changed into a civil struggle, with Assad decided to crush these dissidents with the help of Russia and Iran, concentrating on opposition-held cities.

Anti-government protests in March 2011

This struggle left behind virtually half one million lifeless, whereas about half of the inhabitants of 23 million inhabitants was displaced, as reported by the Related Press.

The battle appeared to have “frozen” in recent times, with the Assad authorities regaining management of most of Syria's territory, whereas the northwest of the nation remained beneath the management of opposition forces and the northeast beneath the management of the Kurds.

Though Damascus was confronted with the dramatic results of the sanctions imposed on it by the West, its neighboring nations started to rebuild their relations with Syria. It’s recalled that Syria rejoined the Arab League in 2023 and Saudi Arabia introduced in Might the appointment of its first ambassador because it severed relations with Damascus 12 years in the past.

Nevertheless, the geopolitical “chessboard” modified quickly when opposition teams in northwestern Syria launched a shock assault towards the Assad authorities. Authorities forces shortly crumbled whereas the Syrian president's allies, preoccupied with different conflicts, specifically Russia's struggle with Ukraine and a number of fronts within the Center East, appeared powerless to intervene on yet one more entrance to a level that would decide developments.

The tip of a household rule

However when and the way did Bashar come to energy? Because the Related Press explains, it was not the then 34-year-old Assad who was destined to rule Syria in 2000. His father had groomed Bashar's older brother, Basil, as his successor, however in 1994 he was killed in a automotive accident in Damascus.

After this tragic occasion for the household, Bashar returned residence from London the place he practiced as an ophthalmologist, duly enlisted and have become a colonel to ascertain his credentials in order that he may someday rule.

Nevertheless, to have the ability to assume energy he needed to have reached the age of 40. However when Hafez Assad died in 2000, parliament lowered the age from 40 to 34. Bashar's nomination was sealed by a nationwide referendum, wherein he was the one candidate.

The military-backed Hafez dominated the nation for practically 30 years throughout which he constructed a Soviet-style financial system to resist Western sanctions.

He adopted a secular ideology that sought to cope with sectarian variations beneath the guise of heroic resistance to Israel. He solid an alliance with the Shiite clerical management in Iran, sealed Syrian rule in Lebanon, and created a community of Palestinian and Lebanese fighters.

E book about Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father

Bashar at first appeared fully totally different from his father. His solely official place earlier than turning into president was as head of the Syrian Pc Society.

Initially, when Assad took workplace, he launched political prisoners and opened the best way for a extra democratic dialogue in Syria. Within the “Damascus Spring”, salons for intellectuals appeared the place Syrians may talk about artwork, tradition and politics, one thing that had not occurred earlier than.

However when 1,000 intellectuals signed a public attraction for multiparty democracy and extra freedoms in 2001, and a few others tried to type a political social gathering to rival Assad, these salons had been full of secret brokers who imprisoned many dissidents.

Financial flip

As an alternative of a political opening, Assad turned to financial adjustments. He progressively lifted monetary restrictions, allowed overseas banks to function within the nation, opened the doorways to imports and boosted the personal sector. In Damascus and different cities, buying malls, new eating places developed, whereas consumerism and tourism elevated.

In overseas coverage, he stayed true to the alliances his father had made. With an ally, Iran insisted on the return of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, though in follow Assad by no means confronted Israel militarily.

The 2005 coup and the pro-American authorities in Lebanon

In 2005, it suffered a heavy blow with the lack of Syria's decades-long management over neighboring Lebanon after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. With many Lebanese accusing Damascus of being behind the assassination, Syria was pressured to withdraw its troops from the nation and a pro-American authorities got here to energy.

On the identical time, the Arab world was divided into two camps. One was made up of US allies, Sunni nations comparable to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the opposite of Syria and Shiite-led Iran, which had ties to Hezbollah and Palestinian militants.

A household affair

For a very long time Assad relied largely on the identical energy base his father did: his Alevi sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that made up about 10 p.c of the inhabitants. Lots of the positions in his authorities got to youthful generations of the identical households that had labored for his father. Members of the brand new center class created by his reforms had been additionally exploited, together with distinguished Sunni service provider households.

Assad additionally gave key positions to his household. His youthful brother, Maher, was head of the elite Presidential Guard and would lead the suppression of the insurrection.

Their sister Bushra was a robust voice in his interior circle, alongside together with her husband, Deputy Protection Minister Assef Shawkat, till she was killed in a bombing in 2012. Bashar's cousin, Rami Makhlouf, grew to become the nation's largest businessman, head of a monetary empire, earlier than the 2 clashed, at which level he was ultimately marginalized.

On the identical time, nevertheless, Bashar more and more entrusted key roles to his spouse, Asma till very just lately, in Might 2024 when he introduced that he was affected by leukemia and had to surrender a sequence of duties he had undertaken.

The start of the top

When protests erupted in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, ultimately toppling their leaders, Assad didn’t consider the identical would occur in his nation, insisting that his authorities had a foothold in Syrian society. The sweeping wave of the Arab Spring, nevertheless, lastly reached Syria.

Repressive forces quelled the protests and Assad stubbornly denied dealing with a well-liked rebellion. As an alternative, he blamed “foreign-sponsored terrorists” for making an attempt to destabilize his regime, which in fact had advantage, however wouldn't have occurred if the Syrian folks weren't in hassle.

In the end, his rhetoric struck a chord with lots of Syria's minority teams – together with Christians, Druze and Shiites – in addition to some Sunnis who’ve feared the prospect of extremist rule since Assad's rule.

The rebellion changed into a civil struggle and hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled to Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon and Europe.

Twelve years later, it took just some 24 hours for the whole collapse of a household dictatorship.

Supply: cnn.gr