Bashar al-Assad Fast Facts

Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career
Bashar Al-Assad's political career – An undated photo shows current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, second from left, posing with his family. Al-Assad's parents, then-President Hafez Assad and his wife, Anisa, in front, and his siblings in the second row; Maher, Bassel, Majd and Bushra.
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Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career
Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad is seen in an 1997 photograph during the time his father, President Hafez Assad, reshuffled the top of the Syrian military. The move was seen as an effort to clear the way for al-Assad to rise to power.
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Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad