Bashar al-Assad

Bashar al-Assad (بشار الاسد) (born September 11, 1965) is the current President of Syria (The Syrian Arab Republic) and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad.

Foreign relations

Despite tense relations with Israel, Assad has called for a resumption of peace talks on the issue of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967. However, the United States and Israel continue to accuse Assad of permitting anti-Israeli groups like Hizbullah to use Syria as a base.

Related Topics:
Israel - Golan Heights - Hizbullah

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Assad has also been heavily criticised for Syria's long-drawn out occupation of large parts of Lebanon. He is reported to have played a key role in the accession of the pro-Syrian General Emile Lahoud to the Lebanese presidency in 1998. Assad was forced to pull his forces out of Lebanon in 2005, after the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, amid speculation that Syria may have been involved in his death, though this has not been confirmed and Assad strongly denies it. Many Lebanese remain to personally blame Assad directly for the assassination of Hariri. Syria remains influential in Lebanon, however, and economic activity is strongly interdependent.

Related Topics:
Lebanon - Emile Lahoud - 1998 - 2005 - Rafik Hariri

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Assad sought to oppose the 2003 invasion of Iraq using Syria's position holding one of the rotating seats on the United Nations Security Council. This precipitated, alongside the assasination of Hariri and the supposed harbouring of anti-Israeli terrorists, a crisis in relations with the West, especially the United States.

Related Topics:
2003 invasion of Iraq - United Nations - Security Council - United States

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