Who is Bashar al-Assad? The Syrian president who fled Damascus before the rebel advance

According to Reuters news agency, rebels entered the gates of Damascus on Sunday, just hours after taking the strategically important city of Homs.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have boarded a plane and fled to an unknown location, according to two senior military officials.
A war monitoring organization noted that the Syrian army’s withdrawal from much of the southern region had allowed opposition fighters to capture more areas, including several provincial capitals.
The militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on Saturday that it had seized control of Homs, Syria’s largest province, which borders Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, given the rebels’ rapid gains, U.S. officials increasingly believe the collapse of the Assad regime is imminent, and some say it could come within days, CNN quoted U.S. officials as saying.
Who is Bashar al-Assad?

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led a brutal crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising that became one of the deadliest conflicts of the century.
After suppressing widespread protests calling for his ouster and crushing an armed uprising, Assad had until recently regained control of much of Syria in the civil war that began in 2011.
Assad, known for his calm demeanor, has proven to be a skilled political survivor, deftly forging alliances with Russia and Iran while presenting himself as Syria’s only viable leader against the Islamist threat. But since November 27, an Islamist-led rebel offensive has captured several key cities, including Aleppo and Hama, for the first time since 2011, threatening Assad’s hold on power.
He has long described himself as a protector of Syria’s minorities and a barrier against extremism, emphasizing his role as a stabilizing force in the war-torn country.
Over the years, Assad has won overwhelming victories in elections held exclusively in government-controlled areas; Elections that Western nations criticized as neither free nor fair.
Normally wearing smart business suits instead of military fatigues, Assad projects a calm, almost reserved image at official appearances, interviews and even at the front.
Assad’s path to leadership was unexpected. He originally pursued a career in ophthalmology, but his life took a dramatic turn in 1994 when his older brother Bassel, who was poised for the presidency, died in a car accident.
Bashar dropped out of his studies in London – where he met his wife Asma, a British-Syrian Sunni Muslim and former JP Morgan employee – and returned to Syria. There he completed military training and received political leadership from his father.
After his father’s death, Bashar assumed the presidency through an uncontested referendum and secured a second term in 2007.
Assad was sworn in at 34 and was initially seen as a potential reformer who would offer hope to Syrians longing for freedom and economic modernization. Early in his presidency, he was occasionally seen driving his own car or dining in public with his wife Asma

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Who is Bashar al-Assad? The Syrian president who fled Damascus before the rebel advance

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