Bashar al-Assad was never expected to rule Syria. That job was meant for his older brother, Basil, who trained as a military commander while Bashar studied to be an ophthalmologist. He wasn’t ...

Basil al-Assad, the older brother of deposed President Bashar al-Assad, died in a car crash in 1994. Before that, he had widely been seen as the heir to their father, ...

On January 21, 1994, Basil al-Assad was killed in what the Syrian government described as a car accident. According to official dispatches, he had been driving too fast on the way to the airport ...

Maher al-Assad is wanted for war crimes and reportedly fled to Russia by way of Iraq as rebel forces took over Syria.

Bashar al-Assad was never expected to rule Syria. That job was meant for his older brother, Basil, who trained as a military commander while Bashar studied to be an ophthalmologist. He wasn’t ...

Al-Assad reportedly fled the country on an aeroplane, ... Basil. In order for Bashar to assume the presidency, the parliament had to lower the minimum age for candidates from 40 to 34.

Basil al-Assad, the “hero” and Hafez al-Assad’s eldest son, died in a car wreck. He was replaced as heir apparent by the “eye doctor,” Bashar, al-Assad (the seemingly) Westernized son.

Hafez al-Assad planned for his eldest son, Basil, to eventually take over as Syria's leader. But Basil was killed when he crashed his car while driving at high speed in Damascus in 1994.

This brief is republished from the Council on Foreign Relations. Read the original article here.. On Jan. 21, 1994, Basil al-Assad was killed in what the Syrian government described as a car accident.

Bashar al-Assad was never expected to rule Syria. That job was meant for his older brother, Basil, who trained as a military commander while Bashar studied to be an ophthalmologist.