Maher al assad, commander of the republican guards and of the fourth armored division, was. The two came to have a decisive say in the decisionmaking process, despite the fact that they do. Bashar alassads brother promoted to major general for daraa. Bashars brother maher is head of the presidential guard, whose tanks and snipers rolled into daraa in april to crush all protesters who stood in their way. Al assads merciless brother maher key to regime survival maher al assad s role underlines the family core of the assad regime, though he is a stark contrast to his brothers. Syrian president bashar alassad is from a powerful family. Al assads merciless brother maher key to regime survival maher al assads role underlines the family core of the assad regime, though he is a stark contrast to his brothers. Dagher explains brutal syrian regimes in assad or we burn the. Independent and unofficial page houses the latest news, photos and articles about syrias president bashar al assad. In spite of early hopes that he would support democratic reforms, he largely continued his fathers authoritarian methods. Assads brother, the muscle behind the throne reuters. Whos who in syrian president bashar al assads inner circle. Ulysses alleged that maher al assad, the military commander brother of president bashar al assad, rewarded officers involved in targeting colvin and the media. Alassad family project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
Whos who in syrian president bashar al assad s inner circle. Syrian leaders brother seen as enforcer of crackdown the. Assef shawkat was born into an alawite family in the village of al madehleh in the tartus region of syria on 15 january 1950. Assads reaction to daraa, advised by his younger brother maher and cousin hafez makhlouf, was. In spring 2011, syrian president bashar alassad turned to his friend and army. Assad or we burn the country and millions of other books are available for. This is an excellent book on the assad family, the key figures who built the. Syrian crisis tests the mettle of its autocratic ruler. Under hafez al assad, and his baath party, syria was socialist. I was hoping for much more when i first got my hands on syria. Another brother, maher al assad, born 1968, is now commander of the republican guard and is known to be much more brutal than bashar.
Syrian military intelligence and a close adviser to the syrian president hafez al assad as well as hardliners such as maher al assad commander of the republican guard and the armys elite fourth armored division, and also bashar al assad. Trump wanted syrias assad assassinated, new book claims. Since coming to power in 1971, the assad family has forged various alliances with syrian elites. Like the other children in the al assad family, he was raised out of the public spotlight and trained in syria.
May 21, 2017 a surreybased cousin of syrian dictator bashar al assad has been threatened with beheading by jihadists, it has emerged siwar al assad, who lives in an eightbedroom luxury home in leafy. Panama papers revelation of assad familys stolen wealth. Bashar hafez al assad was born in damascus on 11 september 1965, the second oldest son of anisa makhlouf and hafez al assad. Assad is surrounded by relatives with reputations for ruthlessness, including his brother maher al assad, who commands the armys fourth. Maher alassad is a syrian general and commander of the republican guard and the armys. Ruling syria is very much a family affairit has been so for nearly five decades, and will remain so as far as the assads are concerned.
Journalist marie colvin targeted, killed by assad forces. Dec 07, 2018 hafez al assad was the architect of modern syria. He was just two years old when his father became president of syria. In the late 1980s patrick seale wrote an excellent account of the al assad family well before it was clear that bashar, its bookish, quiet, secondoldest son, would one day lead the syrian. After his death in 2000, his son bashar succeeded him. Beyond that, ive paid decades of attention to syria since the time of hafaz assad. The flight of the tlass family and assef shawkats death promoted bashar alassads younger brother maher and his cousin rami makhlouf to senior roles within the inner circle. Recalled from london, after having spent less than. Bashar alassads mother has fled syria, us ambassador claims. The family name assad goes back to 1927, when ali sulayman changed his last name to alassad, ara. Maher assad, the presidents only living brother, is an important military voice within the regime and is believed to be one of the masterminds of the. The brutal enforcer of the family regime latest on itv news. The alassad family has ruled syria since hafez alassad became president of syria in 1971.
The al assad family is an alawite family from the latakia region specifically qardaha, which has held political power in syria since 1970. Perhaps the best analogy is to imagine assad as a rather genial figure like george w bush surrounded by a family of dick cheneys. Hafez al assad succeeded in breaking the chain of incessant military coups, and s. Syrian leaders brother seen as enforcer of crackdown. Sam, in this book, youre telling the story of the assad family, but. Effectively, maher alassad will share command with colonel ghayath galla in the syrian arab armys saa coming offensive in daraa city, already the target of massive bombing campaign from air and land. They have run syria since 1966, when hafez alassad, a general in the air force and apparatchik of the syrian baath party, seized power in a coup detat. They all reflect the gruesome nature of how bashar alassad and his family have clung to power as they have slowly destroyed their country by killing over 500,000 people and creating millions of refugees. Ms attar is from a sunni family, and the first woman to hold such a high position in syria.
Bashar al assad s mother has fled syria, us ambassador claims bashar al assad s mother and other members of his inner circle have fled syria as. Aug 30, 20 divisions of elite syrian troops led by president bashar assad s brother were likely responsible for the suspected chemical weapons attack in a damascus suburb last week that killed more than. Maher al assad was born on 8 december 1967, the youngest child of aniseh makhlouf and hafez al assad. Jul 15, 2019 bashar alassad with manaf tlass in 2012.
Bashar alassad right, his brother maher left and brotherinlaw asef shawkat at the funeral of hafez alassad. Bashar alassad wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Ms attar is from a sunni family, and the first woman to. The history behind bashar alassads rise to power and the civil war. He also commands the fourth division of the syrian army and is a member of one of the. Another sibling was maher, anisas favourite, but judged too hot headed. Maher al assad, having spun out of control, plays the role of sonny corleone. Tlass, the main insider source for this account of the assad familys half.
Though the al assad family is the public face of the syrian regime and controls some of its most important positions, the regime also comprises other alawites as well as christians, druze, other religious minorities and members of. Seale has speculated that assad may already have lost authority to men like his brother, maher al assad, who is on both the latest eu and us lists of targeted sanctions. Then there are cousins andan and muhammad, who are heads of. Bashar al assad, current president of syria and belligerent in the syrian civil war. Maher alassad project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Hafez al assad was obsessed with keeping the syrian presidency within the family. Dec 17, 2019 hafez alassad and son bashar alassad in the last few years a number of important books dealing with the syrian tragedy have appeared.
Bitar said, the relationship between president assad and his younger brother mirrors the relationship of their father, hafez alassad, with. For the west, however, working with maher is a more difficult move given the outstanding accusations from the icc and his close relationship to bashar. Bashar alassad, president of syria since 2000, when he succeeded his father, hafiz alassad. Independent and unofficial page houses the latest news, photos and articles about syrias president bashar. Maher al assad was born on 8 december 1967, the youngest child of anisa makhlouf and hafez al assad. Maher alassad is a syrian general and commander of the republican guard and the armys elite fourth armored division, which together with syrias secret police form the. Maher assad, the presidents only living brother, is an important military voice within the regime and.
She wasnt the first member of the family to leave in a hurry. Maher alassad, was allowed by the regime to sell flour, packaged food, butter, oil, tea and sugar, among. Jun 08, 2011 to many, maher alassads power has underscored the narrow circle his brother presides over a circle that relies on connections of clan, family and friendship, and that has proved far less. The men making a fortune from syrias war financial times. Maher is also known by many to be the most ruthless in the alassad family.
The alassad family has ruled syria since hafez alassad became president of syria in 1971 and established an authoritarian to totalitarian regime under the control of the baath party. New assad statues show syrian regime is here to stay the. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Effectively, maher al assad will share command with colonel ghayath galla in the syrian arab armys saa coming offensive in daraa city, already the target of massive bombing campaign from air and land due to his promotion, maher now outranks both suheil al hassan and issam zahreddine, arguably the most famous generals who are commanding two separate saa armies against the islamic state. At the end there are recommendations for other books on syria.
Apr 29, 2011 maher al assad, the youngest son of hafez, is head of the republican guard, the regimes elite security force. Media in category maher alassad the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. Bashar grew up within a family that gained power and. Six syrians who helped bashar alassad keep iron grip. Maher al assad is currently described as the second most important figure in syria after the president. Maher assad, the presidents only living brother, is an important military voice within the regime and is believed to be one of the masterminds of the current crackdown, which has left over 60,000 dead. A surreybased cousin of syrian dictator bashar al assad has been threatened with beheading by jihadists, it has emerged siwar al assad, who lives in. In daghers book, this is graphically described from grim personal. Dagher explains brutal syrian regimes in assad or we burn.
Dagher explains brutal syrian regimes in assad or we burn the country nprs noel king talks to journalist sam dagher about his book assad or we burn the country. Like the other children in the alassad family, he was raised out of the public spotlight and trained in syria. Syrias assad family instills legacy of fear syrian president bashar al assad has ordered the military to crack down on a rebellious town in the north. Apr 07, 2017 whos who in syrian president bashar al assad s inner circle. Bashar alassads brother promoted to major general for. Whos who in syrian president bashar al assads inner. The wife of the late president hafez al assad, makhlouf held the position of first lady of syria from 1971 until 2000. The locals reportedly nicknamed him wahhish, which means wild beast in arabic, because he was physically strong and a good fighter. Raed qutenaafpgetty images assads reaction to daraa, advised by his younger brother maher and cousin hafez makhlouf, was to double down. The al assad family, the inner circle, and the tycoons analysis. Within days, he received word that maher al assad wanted to meet him. Syrian defectors accuse assad relatives of ordering crimes.
Al assads merciless brother maher key to regime survival. Bashar alassads cousin threatened with beheading daily. During this time, shawkat married and had five children. He is also the director of the prison in which maher al assad keeps his personal prisoners outside of state jurisdiction. Jun 01, 2011 while there is an unfortunate tendency for family dictatorship in the whole arab world, it has reached its zenith in the 45year rule of the ruthless political dynasty that is the assads. The history behind bashar alassads rise to power and the civil war charles river editors on. Ever since hafez alassad came to power in 1971, the three pillars of the syrian regime.
They are members of the minority alawite sect and belong to the kalbiyya tribe. Closeness to the assad family remains far more important than a job title or formal responsibilities. Opinion living under assads siege the new york times. Panama papers revelation of assad family s stolen wealth helps explain the syrian revolution. How bashar alassad became a brutal dictator psychology. Troops led by assads brother likely to blame for chemical.
The assad family originates from sulayman alwahhish, hafez assads grandfather, who lived in the northern syrian mountains in the village of qardaha. New evidence has emerged claiming that members of bashar al assad s family and inner. The flight of the tlass family and assef shawkats death promoted bashar al assad s younger brother maher and his cousin rami makhlouf to senior roles within the inner circle. This country has been much in the news, and ive been following its deterioration quite closely. Her five children include bashar al assad, the president of syria since 2000. He was the good boy, the dutiful, quiet son who kept his head in his books. In the last few years a number of important books dealing with the syrian tragedy have appeared. The assads hold more than just the presidency of syria. The two came to have a decisive say in the decisionmaking process, despite the fact that they do not hold key posts in the government. Jun 16, 2011 syrias assad family instills legacy of fear syrian president bashar al assad has ordered the military to crack down on a rebellious town in the north. Bashar alassad, current president of syria and belligerent in the syrian civil war.
Sep 09, 20 in the late 1980s patrick seale wrote an excellent account of the alassad familywell before it was clear that bashar, its bookish, quiet, secondoldest son, would one day lead the syrian. Jadan fled to america two years ago, after an argument with maher, younger brother of president bashar alassad and the man most syrians say is the enforcer of the assad clans grip on syria. House of assad about hafez alassad, president of syria from. It was bassels death in 1994 that devastated the family and dramatically changed bashars trajectory. Maher alassad was born on 8 december 1967, the youngest child of aniseh makhlouf and hafez alassad. The alassad family is an alawite family from the latakia region specifically qardaha, which has held political power in syria since 1970. This book will give you much better insight on not only the current government in syria, but also how syria has changed since bashar al assad took over after the death of his father hafez al assad in 2000. Apr 27, 2011 bashar alassad, syrias beleaguered president, has a close circle of family members and security officials who are thought to be influential in the regimes increasingly bloody crackdown on.
Reports working papers policy briefs books special projects. Maher alassad and rami makhlouf at the top of the pyramid. It is expected that the coming stage will witness a fierce battle between agencies loyal to bashar al assad on one side and to his brother maher on the other, to extend networks of funding, financial transfers, money laundering, and evading international sanctions. Russia curbs maher alassads influence the syrian observer. The syrian government has long been packed with family members with unshakable loyalty to their leadership. Syrian president bashar alassad took over the presidency in 2000 when his father, hafez alassad, died after ruling the country for three decades. He grew up in modest comfort and studied law and history at damascus university before joining the syrian army in the late 1970s. Dec 01, 2018 undated picture shows thensyrian president hafez assad and his wife, anisseh, posing for a family picture with their children, maher, from left, bashar syrias current president, bassel, majd. A member of the assad family with a strong military link and a certain ruthlessness will ensure that syria remains autocratic, stable and friendly to moscow. Syrian defectors accuse assad relatives of ordering crimes against humanity. The day i met the first lady of hell irish examiner. Asaf shawkat, with the rumors about his association with syrias comfortable enemy israel, and even rumors as to whether he is alive or not spreading, is none other that carlo rizzi.
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