Commanding Syria: Bashar Al-Asad and the First Years in Power"When Bashar al-Asad became President of Syria in June 2000, he had a tough act to follow. A quiet, unassuming ophthalmologist, trained in Britain, young Asad was successor to his dynamic, wily father Hafiz, who had consolidated power in his ethnically diverse and politically restive state through personal charisma, brute force and political balancing acts." "This is the first major work on Bashar al-Sad. It explains his emergence to power from the Byzantine manoeuvering of Asad family politics. It assesses the durability of Hafiz's legacy, including the persistent influence of the old power-brokers, the effectiveness of Bashar's attempts to move away from his father's shadow, and the prospects for reform in Syria. It examines the key events of Bashar's Presidency - the so-called "Damascus Spring', the decision not to support America's second war with Iraq in 2003, and the assassination of the former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri, and puts them into historical and political context. Above all Commanding Syria evaluates Bashar's continuing hold on power following Syria's humiliating retreat from Lebanon in Spring 2005 and the aggressive American drive to impose democracy in the Middle East."--BOOK JACKET. |
Contents
Taking the reins of power | 2 |
Bashar alAsad the man and his regime | 12 |
47 | 32 |
Copyright | |
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al-Aqsa Intifada al-Ba'th Al-Hayat al-Nahar al-Safir al-Sharq al-Awsat al-Thawra Al-Watan Alawite American announced appeared April Arab world army Asad's Legacy attack Aviv Ba'th Party Bank Bashar al-Asad Basil Beirut billion constituted Damascus December Druze early economic Ehud Barak elections elite especially Eyal Zisser father February foreign Golan Heights governmental Ha'aretz Hafiz al-Asad Hizballah Husayn interview Intifada Iraq Islamic Israel Israeli issue January July June Khaddam leader leadership Lebanese March Maronite Middle East military Moreover Muhammad National Progressive Front November October Palestinian Patrick Seale People's Assembly percent political population President Asad Prime Minister promote Rafiq al-Hariri reality reform region reported Reuters Rif'at Riyad rule Sayf September 2004 society South Lebanon stability status struggle Syrian forces Syrian president Syrian public Syrian regime Syrian TV terrorist threat Tishrin University of Damascus Washington Western withdrawal Yedi ot Aharonot