Word: assad
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...from the Middle East that the peacemaking efforts of U.S. Special Envoy Robert McFarlane were about to pay off in the form of a ceasefire. By week's end it seemed clear, however, that the mission's chances for success were slim, largely because Syrian President Hafez Assad was determined either to bring down the Lebanese government of President Amin Gemayel or bend it to Syria's will...
...behavior of the Syrians in the negotiations convinced U.S. diplomats that the Assad government was not interested in a fair compromise. Said a discouraged U.S. diplomat: "The Syrians are making demands designed, in effect, to steal the legitimacy of the Lebanese government." Their real aim, in the U.S. view, is to hasten Gemayel's demise and replace him with a government that Syria can control...
...Assad's longevity is all the more remarkable considering that he is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam that accounts for only 11% of his nation's population, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim. In a sense, it was Assad's religion that put him on the path to power. With few career opportunities available to a non-Sunni, Assad entered the military academy at 22; by 25, he was an air force officer. Around that time, the ambitious Assad became active in the country's Baath Party, which advocates...
...Assad's top priority always has been to ensure that he remains in power. He installed Alawites in key jobs in the party and the military...
...Defense Minister, he studied the background of every officer in the armed forces, while appointing his personal supporters to key military positions. When he became President, Assad made a study to determine how Syria's many previous coups had been carried...