Bashar al-Assad was never meant to be a leader, but now sees it as a birthright

ANALYSIS: Despite condemnation, accidental ruler Bashar al-Assad has held his stranglehold on Syria because he believes it is his birthright.

DESPITE facing international condemnation for the past four years, former doctor turned president Bashar al-Assad has held his stranglehold on Syria because he believes it is the birthright of his family to lead the country.

The 51-year-old despot was very much the accidental ruler after graduating as a doctor fluent in English from Damascus University in 1988 and living in London in 1994, was suddenly recalled back to Syria after the death of his older brother Basil in a high-speed car crash.

Bashar was the second son of President Hafez al-Assad and was allowed to pursue his own interests with Basil seen as the heir apparent to the Syrian dictatorship.

That changed with the death and Bashar was fast-tracked through military school and in January 1999 was made a colonel, a year before his father died after a quarter of century in power. He was then quickly promoted to field marshal and commander of the armed forces.

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad believes leadership is his birthright. Picture: AFP

With the support of the military and the Baath party dominated by the Alawite sect he had the constitution amended to allow him to become a head of state with a referendum later then confirming him as president with apparently almost 100 per cent of the national vote.

In the same year he married British citizen of Syrian descent Asma Akhras and in 2001 they had their first son Hafez, named after Bashar’s father.

When opposition to his rule rose in early 2011, it was quickly quashed as what he described as a minor externally-backed conspiracy to unsettle his regime and the nation.

Within two months more than 1000 people had been killed sparking offensives against government troops across the country notably Aleppo. It was at this stage people were disappearing, being arrested for the most spurious reasons and jailed never to be seen again.

A poster of President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. Picture: AFP

Hundreds if not thousands of people were tortured. Tanks were deployed to put down uprisings and despite condemnation and offers for safe passage if he stepped down amid widespread and growing civil war, he refused to leave claiming such demands were a Western plot and was backing terrorists against his democratically-elected rule and mandate.

Just this week he declared he had “no option but victory”, in no small part to his shoring up of defences with Russian military backing.

“As I said a while ago, we have a great hope which is becoming greater; and this hope is built on confidence, for without confidence there wouldn't be any hope. In any case, we do not have any other option except victory,” he said.

“If we do not win this war, it means that Syria will be deleted from the map. We have no choice in facing this war, and that’s why we are confident, we are persistent and we are determine.” In an earlier interview he vowed he would “die” before giving up his rule.