Who is Bashar al-Assad and how did he rule Syria?

After 24 years in power, Syrian rebels toppled former President Bashar al-Assad, ending his family's 54-year brutal authoritarian rule in one of the biggest turning points in Middle East history.

But Bashar al-Assad was never meant to be president of Syria. That role was intended for his older, more charismatic brother, Bassel al-Assad. So how exactly did the doctor turned dictator rise to power and how did he rule Syria?

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