Hafez al-Assad

Hafez al-Assad
حافظ الأسد
Assad in 1996
18th President of Syria
In office 12 March 1971 – 10 June 2000
Prime Minister	See list Himself (1971) *Abdul Rahman Khleifawi (1971–72) *Mahmoud al-Ayyubi (1972–76) *Abdul Rahman Khleifawi (1976–78) *Muhammad Ali al-Halabi (1978–80) *Abdul Rauf al-Kasm (1980–87) *Mahmoud Zuabi (1987–2000) *Muhammad Mustafa Mero (2000)
Vice President	See list Mahmoud al-Ayyubi (1971–74) *Rifaat al-Assad (1984–98) *Abdul Halim Khaddam (1984–2000)
Preceded by	Ahmad al-Khatib
Succeeded by	Abdul Halim Khaddam (acting)
Prime Minister of Syria
In office 21 November 1970 – 3 April 1971
President	See list Ahmad al-Khatib (1970–71) *Himself
Preceded by	Nureddin al-Atassi
Succeeded by	Abdul Rahman Khleifawi
Regional Secretary of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch
In office 18 November 1970 – 10 June 2000
Deputy	See list Mohamad Jaber Bajbouj (1975–80) *Zuhair Masharqa (1980–85) *Sulayman Qaddah (1985–2005)
Preceded by	Nureddin al-Atassi
Succeeded by	Bashar al-Assad
Secretary General of the National Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
In office 12 September 1971 – 10 June 2000
Deputy	Abdullah al-Ahmar
Preceded by	Nureddin al-Atassi
Succeeded by	Abdullah al-Ahmar (de facto; al-Assad is still de jure Secretary General, even though he is dead.)
Minister of Defense
In office 23 February 1966 – 1972
President	See list Nureddin al-Atassi (1966–70) *Ahmad al-Khatib (1970–71) *Himself
Prime Minister	See list Yusuf Zuaiyin (1966–68) *Nureddin al-Atassi (1968–70) *Himself (1970–71) *Abdul Rahman Kleifawi
Preceded by	Muhammad Umran
Succeeded by	Mustafa Tlass
Member of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch
In office 27 March 1966 – 10 June 2000
In office 5 September 1963 – 4 April 1965
Personal details
Born	(1930-10-06)6 October 1930 Qardaha, Alawite State, Syria
Died	10 June 2000(2000-06-10) (aged 69) Damascus, Syria
Resting place	Qardaha, Syria
Political party	Ba'ath Party (Syrian faction) (since 1966)
Other political affiliations	Arab Ba'ath Party (1946–47) Ba'ath Party (1947–66)
Spouse(s)	Aniseh (née Makhluf) (1957–2000)
Relations	Jamil, Rifaat (brothers)
Children	Bushra, Bassel, Bashar, Majd, Maher
Alma mater	Homs Military Academy
Religion	Islam (Alawite)
Military service
Allegiance	Syria
Service/branch	Syrian Air Force
Years of service	1952–72
Rank	General
Commands	Syrian Air Force Syrian Armed Forces
Battles/wars	Six Day War (1967) War of Attrition (1967–70) Black September (1970–71)

Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: حافظ الأسد‎‎ Ḥāfiẓ al-ʾAsad, Levantine pronunciation: [ˈħaːfezˤ elˈʔasad] Modern Standard Arabic: [ħaːfɪðˤ al'ʔasad]; 6 October 1930 – 10 June 2000) was a Syrian statesman, politician and general who was President of Syria from 1971 to 2000, Prime Minister from 1970 to 1971, Regional Secretary of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and Secretary General of the National Command of the Ba'ath Party from 1970 to 2000. He participated in the 1963 Syrian coup d'état which brought the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party to power, and was appointed Commander of the Syrian Air Force by the new leadership. In 1966, Assad participated in a second coup, which toppled the traditional leaders of the Ba'ath Party, and brought a radical military faction headed by Salah Jadid to power. Assad was appointed defense minister by the new government. In 1970 Assad seized power by toppling Jadid, and appointed himself the undisputed leader of Syria in the period 1970–71.