ClydeR
04-11-2017, 11:01 AM
Picture it. The late 1980s. Ronald Reagan is in power. It was the best time to be an American. And perhaps the best, or as good an any, time to be a Syrian. The President of Syria, Hafez Assad, was not particularly popular. But his son, Bassel Assad, also known as the "Golden Knight," was. Hafez Assad even liked to be called "Abu Bassel," meaning father of Bassell.
Bassell was known as the Golden Knight because of his horsemanship. He won several equestrian competitions. More importantly, he was a highly trained member of Syria's special forces, and he had a PhD in military sciences. He loved fast cars. Women, and a few men, swooned when he walked by.
With Bassel as heir apparent to Hafez, things looked pretty good for Syria.
Alas, it was not the fate of Syria to be ruled by Bassell. Bassell died in 1994. Probably a dragon.
Anyway, Hafez needed to choose another of his children to succeed him. He had three remaining sons and one daughter. The daughter was out, obviously. Of the three sons, one had psychological and drug problems. Of his two possible sons, the older, Bashar, was an ophthalmologist. So not him. That just left Maher. Maher had a business degree but also was a member of Syria's Republican Guard, which was mostly an internal police force. Maher was prone to angry outbursts, and the police forces were not popular.
That's how Syria came to be ruled by an ophthalmologist.
Bassell was known as the Golden Knight because of his horsemanship. He won several equestrian competitions. More importantly, he was a highly trained member of Syria's special forces, and he had a PhD in military sciences. He loved fast cars. Women, and a few men, swooned when he walked by.
With Bassel as heir apparent to Hafez, things looked pretty good for Syria.
Alas, it was not the fate of Syria to be ruled by Bassell. Bassell died in 1994. Probably a dragon.
Anyway, Hafez needed to choose another of his children to succeed him. He had three remaining sons and one daughter. The daughter was out, obviously. Of the three sons, one had psychological and drug problems. Of his two possible sons, the older, Bashar, was an ophthalmologist. So not him. That just left Maher. Maher had a business degree but also was a member of Syria's Republican Guard, which was mostly an internal police force. Maher was prone to angry outbursts, and the police forces were not popular.
That's how Syria came to be ruled by an ophthalmologist.