Hafez al-Assad
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Hafez al-Assad was a Syrian politician and military officer who served as the president of Syria from 1971 until his death in 2000. He was previously the prime minister from 1970 to 1971 as well as th
Official portrait, 1986
Hafez al-Assad (above) standing on the wing of a Fiat G.46-4B with fellow cadets at the Syrian AF Academy outside Aleppo, 1951–52
Michel Aflaq and Salah Jadid, 1963
Women serving in the army, 1969
Bassel al-Assad
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Bassel al-Assad was a Syrian military officer, engineer and politician. He was the eldest son of Syrian president Hafez al-Assad. He was expected to succeed his father as president until his death in
Hafez al-Assad
…was exiled after attempting to seize power in 1984 in response to Hafez suffering a health scare. Assad's next choice of successor was his eldest son, Bassel. However, Bassel died in a high-speed car crash in 1994, and Assad turned to his third choice—his younger son Bashar, who at that time was a medical…
Al-Assad, c. 1994
Bassel rides a horse