Hafiz al-Asad’s rise to power in November 1970 brought about a new era, as he softened his predecessors’ anti-Islamic tone. Although himself an ‘Alawi, Asad prayed in Sunni mosques, …

Dec 1, 1994 · To press Asad to make the right decisions, the U.S. government should establish to Asad how it is in his interests to adopt the correct policies. That means adopting a wholly new …

Sep 1, 2000 · The first week of June 2000 found Damascus bustling with activity in preparation for the Ba’th Party congress opening on June 17. That was no ordinary party conclave but the first …

Sep 1, 1995 · Asad seems intentionally to have avoided dealing with the succession issue during this time. He probably procrastinated in part out of a desire to avoid any further shock to the …

Jun 28, 1994 · An enormous bronze statue of Asad--ten times larger than life--looms over the city of Hama, serving as a palpable reminder of his brutal 1982 suppression of Islamic agitation …

Oct 1, 1999 · The situation of this 4,000-member community was a long-festering human-rights issue between Damascus and Washington. For decades, Asad refused to let more than a few …

Aug 23, 2024 · Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for the vice presidency, has enjoyed softball coverage of his affiliation with—and praise for— an Islamist imam who celebrated the October …

Aug 8, 1990 · Asad used this tactic for a few years after his 1970 “Corrective Movement” when he assumed the title of prime minister and left the presidency to an obscure Sunni schoolteacher. …

Oct 2, 1993 · Peres has taken a number of steps to change the tone of Israeli negotiations with Damascus -- warmly inviting Asad to join with him to make peace, breaking out of the limited …

Sep 1, 1994 · Asad’s visit in July 1990 to Sharm al-Shaykh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, constituted an effective Syrian acceptance of the land-for-peace formula, for this …