Assad was tutored in politics by his father, who ruled Syria with an iron fist from 1971 until his death in 2000. "There is no reign of Assad family anyway in Syria," Assad told AFP. When Assad came to power in 2000, he relaxed some of the heavy restrictions on freedom that existed under his father. Still, the key to his victory, Abed Rabbo and others said, was the steadfast support Assad was able to count on from his foreign allies. The Soviet Union was a major supporter of Assad's father, and Syria's ruling elite has long had close ties with Shiite-dominated Iran.

Source: Daily Nation April 13, 2017 15:44 UTC