Help!!! How did Assad come to power?

[StrangeCaptain]

Hello all,

I am currently curious about Assad's ascent. I understand initially that he inherited this from his father, so I guess I am interested about his father's story, and more accurately, how Assad kept power. I am wondering if any coalition building was necessary like Khaddafi had to do with tribal leaders.

I have not yet found anything without that oh so common Western, mainstream bias, and though I do not expect you to do my homework for me, I would be interested if anyone knows off the top of their heads some reasonably informed and unbiased sources on this historical chapter.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gawan]

Hello all,

I am currently curious about Assad's ascent. I understand initially that he inherited this from his father, so I guess I am interested about his father's story, and more accurately, how Assad kept power. I am wondering if any coalition building was necessary like Khaddafi had to do with tribal leaders.

I have not yet found anything without that oh so common Western, mainstream bias, and though I do not expect you to do my homework for me, I would be interested if anyone knows off the top of their heads some reasonably informed and unbiased sources on this historical chapter.

Thanks in advance!

I tried to find something but had no luck also my knowledge about Syria is not that good to give you an answer out of my head. The main problem could be since the main language is arabic not many English sources are released and we mainly need to stick with the English sources, but there must be exceptions of course.

 

[Altair]

Hello all,

I am currently curious about Assad's ascent. I understand initially that he inherited this from his father, so I guess I am interested about his father's story, and more accurately, how Assad kept power. I am wondering if any coalition building was necessary like Khaddafi had to do with tribal leaders.

Thanks in advance!

It's a bit different in Syria as far as I know. Assad belongs to alawites - a small secular shiite minority of Syrian population (11%) who has been giving him and his father strong support for many years and helped them to come to power though at the moment he has support of the majority of the Syrian population.

 

[Arne]

Born on 11 September 1965, al-Asad was studying ophthalmology in London when Basil's death catapulted him into a political life.

He was summoned back to Damascus to assume his brother's position as the informal heir apparent.

He was largely kept out of the spotlight, partly as a matter of policy and partly because his father did not want to alarm Syria's senior military and political figures, some of whom coveted the top job themselves.

Leaving his medical career, al-Asad joined the military academy in the northern city of Hims. He became a colonel in January 1999
Towards the end of his father's life, al-Asad emerged as an advocate of modernisation and led a public anti-corruption campaign, partly in a bid to raise his profile.

Assuming office in June 2000 following the death of his father, al-Asad was seen as one of a new breed of Middle East leaders.

_https://www.facebook.com/pg/Bashar.Al.Assad.page/about/

 

[bjorb]

Hello all,

I am currently curious about Assad's ascent. I understand initially that he inherited this from his father, so I guess I am interested about his father's story, and more accurately, how Assad kept power. I am wondering if any coalition building was necessary like Khaddafi had to do with tribal leaders.

I have not yet found anything without that oh so common Western, mainstream bias, and though I do not expect you to do my homework for me, I would be interested if anyone knows off the top of their heads some reasonably informed and unbiased sources on this historical chapter.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Patience

Assad took the mantle as leader of the Ba'ath Party from this father. Before he took on this responsibility he was an eye Doctor. He didn't inhereted the country. Syria is a democracy, or at least a more functioning democracy compared to the west by far. It's strictly regulated which parties can join the elections and those who cannot. Condition for one are that is has to be secular party. Which only make sense to keep the peace and banish radicals.

You must take account that it's a very turbulent region. Saudi Arabia which is influence forces upon Wahhabism, together with the West and Israel they have been trying to destroy Syria for decades. The Assad family by acting authoritarian was able to keep the peace. The story of Syrian history from 1946-1970 was one of continual instability, the story of Syria from 1970 till 2011 tells the opposite tale. During the era of stability and peace the Ba'ath Party was in control the country. Syrians associate the Assad family with peace and rightfully so.

Perhaps the following articles can help you get started?
https://www.sott.net/article/337050-Why-Bashar-al-Assad-remains-popular-among-the-Syrian-people
https://www.sott.net/article/331884-Manufactured-Discontent-Syrian-People-Never-Desired-Revolution
https://www.sott.net/article/346082-The-Peaceful-Revolution-narrative-in-Syria-by-the-West-was-a-lie-from-the-beginning

Bit offtopic but most telling short story of a priest from Belgian whose life and is enduring the proxy war in Syria.
https://www.sott.net/article/340726-Interview-with-Flemish-priest-in-Syria-Putin-and-Assad-saved-my-life

 

[Joe]

Basically, Assad kept power with the help of the Soviet Union during the "cold war" and by adhering to Ba'athism, which can be described as:

"an ideology mixing Arab nationalist, pan-Arabism, Arab socialist, and anti-imperialist interests. Ba'athism calls for unification of the Arab world into a single state. Its motto, "Unity, Liberty, Socialism", refers to Arab unity, and freedom from non-Arab control and interference."

You'd think such an ideology would have held sway in more places than Syria and Iraq, but you have the Israelis, Americans and Saudis to thank for that.

 

[StrangeCaptain]

Hello all,

I am currently curious about Assad's ascent. I understand initially that he inherited this from his father, so I guess I am interested about his father's story, and more accurately, how Assad kept power. I am wondering if any coalition building was necessary like Khaddafi had to do with tribal leaders.

I have not yet found anything without that oh so common Western, mainstream bias, and though I do not expect you to do my homework for me, I would be interested if anyone knows off the top of their heads some reasonably informed and unbiased sources on this historical chapter.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Patience

Assad took the mantle as leader of the Ba'ath Party from this father. Before he took on this responsibility he was an eye Doctor. He didn't inhereted the country. Syria is a democracy, or at least a more functioning democracy compared to the west by far. It's strictly regulated which parties can join the elections and those who cannot. Condition for one are that is has to be secular party. Which only make sense to keep the peace and banish radicals.

You must take account that it's a very turbulent region. Saudi Arabia which is influence forces upon Wahhabism, together with the West and Israel they have been trying to destroy Syria for decades. The Assad family by acting authoritarian was able to keep the peace. The story of Syrian history from 1946-1970 was one of continual instability, the story of Syria from 1970 till 2011 tells the opposite tale. During the era of stability and peace the Ba'ath Party was in control the country. Syrians associate the Assad family with peace and rightfully so.

Perhaps the following articles can help you get started?
https://www.sott.net/article/337050-Why-Bashar-al-Assad-remains-popular-among-the-Syrian-people
https://www.sott.net/article/331884-Manufactured-Discontent-Syrian-People-Never-Desired-Revolution
https://www.sott.net/article/346082-The-Peaceful-Revolution-narrative-in-Syria-by-the-West-was-a-lie-from-the-beginning

Bit offtopic but most telling short story of a priest from Belgian whose life and is enduring the proxy war in Syria.
https://www.sott.net/article/340726-Interview-with-Flemish-priest-in-Syria-Putin-and-Assad-saved-my-life

Thank you, I will take a look at these links as a point of departure.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Probably the best source on Asad is Patrick Seale's "Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East". He was friends with Asad, interviewed him and most of the main players from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and had access to official Syrian documents. Covers up to the mid-eighties. I recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Asad-Struggle-Middle-Patrick-Seale/dp/0520069765

It covers the revolution-from-above/coup, the main players in it and how Asad essentially was the last man standing after they all fell out with each other. His conflicts with Arafat. His strategy for Palestine. War with Israel. The internal power plays among the Syrian elites. The war on the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

[Glenn]

Basically, Assad kept power with the help of the Soviet Union during the "cold war" and by adhering to Ba'athism, which can be described as:

"an ideology mixing Arab nationalist, pan-Arabism, Arab socialist, and anti-imperialist interests. Ba'athism calls for unification of the Arab world into a single state. Its motto, "Unity, Liberty, Socialism", refers to Arab unity, and freedom from non-Arab control and interference."

You'd think such an ideology would have held sway in more places than Syria and Iraq, but you have the Israelis, Americans and Saudis to thank for that.

What sort of clicks in my mind after reading this, is Ba'athism is sort of the 'caliphate' for good, or the good of the Arab peoples, or maybe better put, the unity of the Arab people. And of course with unity would come strength. I seem to remember that Saddam Hussein was also Ba'athist. That seems to make it more clear what was part of the intention to invade Iraq, and to try and take down Assad. And of course out of that came ISIS which is sort of the evil twin of Ba'athism.