Inside depraved world of Assad from gassing children to mass murder as tyrant’s brutal 24-year reign ends

The 24-year reign of Bashar al-Assad over Syria has finally come to an end, bringing an end to a regime notorious for its horrific atrocities and destructive legacy.

A terrifying story of power corruption, Assad’s transformation from a soft-spoken eye doctor with training in London to one of the most violent tyrants of the twenty-first century was once heralded as a possible reformer.

After opposition forces launched a surprise offensive in Damascus, forcing the dictator to flee to Russia, Assad’s control over Syria came to an abrupt end.

This signaled the end of a regime that was well-known for its cruelty, which included chemical strikes, mass arrests, and the destruction of Syrian cities.

Bashar, the quiet third son in a political dynasty, was born in 1965 to Syria’s autocratic ruler, Hafez al-Assad.

He even gained the moniker “geeky IT guy” while he was a London-based ophthalmology specialist, suggesting that he was destined for a quiet career in medicine.

When his older brother, Bassel, the family’s designated successor, passed away in a vehicle accident in 1994, his life took a drastic change.

Suddenly called back to Syria, Bashar was being prepared for leadership.

The younger Assad took control after the Syrian parliament changed the constitution to lower the presidential age threshold from 40 to 34 after Hafez’s death in 2000.

At first, there was optimism for reform as Bashar pledged political transparency, modernization, and anti-corruption efforts.

However, the so-called Damascus Spring did not last long.

The start of Assad’s authoritarian administration was marked by his crackdown on dissenters within a year.

THE DESCENT INTO TYRANNY

With Assad and his extended family stealing money and stifling dissent, the Assad dictatorship swiftly turned into a kleptocracy.

People were fed up with economic stagnation and police-state repression, and corruption was pervasive.

When the Arab Spring sparked optimism for change in the Middle East in 2011, Assad’s regime violently put down nonviolent pro-democracy demonstrations.

Outrage across the country was triggered by the violent suppression in Daraa, where security forces shot unarmed protesters and abused children.

Assad’s answer was disastrous; he turned protests into a full-scale civil war by unleashing his force on people.

His troops used chemical weapons and barrel bombs to target marketplaces, schools, and hospitals.

Assad’s status as a war criminal was solidified after the 2013 sarin gas attack on Ghouta, which claimed hundreds of lives.

A WAR OF ATTRITION

The conflict in Syria turned become a geopolitical minefield.

Russia and Iran supported Assad, who fraudulently released jihadist prisoners to support extreme groups while portraying himself as a bulwark against terrorism.

This changed the face of international terror by fostering the growth of organizations like ISIS.

Only 10% of Syria was under Assad’s rule by 2015.

The turning point was Russia’s military engagement, which involved constant airstrikes conducted in the name of combating terrorism.

Even when Syria turned into a battlefield for superpowers, Assad was supported by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and Russian President Vladimir Putin, guaranteeing his survival.

Assad’s tactics emptied Syria even if he gained the upper hand.

Hundreds of thousands of people died, more than half the population was displaced, and cities like Aleppo and Homs were reduced to ruins.

Assad was accused by the UN of committing numerous crimes, including indiscriminate bombardment and systemic torture in government jails.

ASSAD’S DOWNFALL

When opposition forces launched a rapid onslaught in December 2024, taking advantage of Syria’s depleted defenses, Assad’s rule came to an abrupt end.

After years of cruel authoritarian rule, the capital was declared free as rebels overran Damascus in a quick campaign.

Iran was concerned with regional conflicts and Russia was embroiled in Ukraine, leaving Assad’s administration exposed.

In a symbolic victory, rebels overran Aleppo, and Assad left Damascus.

Amidst reports of its accident, Assad departed on a military aircraft before reappearing in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin offered him sanctuary.

It comes as a purported Russian plot to spread bogus information about a ‘plane disaster’ involving al-Assad has been revealed.

Russia “hid their trail” in aiding al-Assad’s escape by spreading false reports that he perished in an accident, according to the Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security on X.

Opposition forces deposed Assad’s statues, seized control of important cities, and declared their intention to form a transitional administration.

Russia and Iran, allies, suffer a setback when Assad is overthrown since they both remove their assets from Syria.

As Syrians rejoice, challenges still exist, but after years of war, hope for a democratic future grows.

His downfall highlights the price of using terror to hold onto power and also marks the end of a dynastic dictatorship.

The country that Bashar al-Assad left behind is in ruins.

He shattered Syria’s society, destroyed its infrastructure, and left millions in misery.

Syria came to represent human misery, and Assad’s name will always be associated with some of the most heinous war crimes of the contemporary era.

Instead of being recognized as a modernizing reformer, the guy will be remembered as a symbol of unbridled brutality, his legacy etched in his own people’s blood.

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