President
Hafiz al-Asad
Syrian Arab Republic
Born:  October 6, 1930

I am a leader, not the leader.

Narative Section	
	I was born in Latakia to Ali Sulayman and Naisa.  Just before my 
birth, my father made the transition from a simple peasant to minor 
notable.  The family name was changed from Wahhish to Asad.  My mother, 
Naisa was a strong-minded woman and eventually became the dominant 
parent.  I have two younger brothers, Rifat and Jamil.  One of my 
brothers attempted to take over when I was ill in November of 1983.  My 
father had eight children from a previous marriage, none of which had any 
formal education.  Once the French brought education to the remote 
villages, my father wanted to make sure that I would benefit.  At the age 
of nine, I was sent away to school.  I attended the Military College and 
the Aviation College in Syria.  At the age of sixteen, I joined the Baath 
Party in Latakia.
	In 1946, I joined the Army and the Arab Baath Socialist Party 
Committee in Cairo, of which I was an active member.  Due to my political 
activities, I was forced to resign from the army.  However, in 1963 I was 
readmitted.  In addition to my promotion to General of the Syrian Air 
Force, I was appointed Minister of Defense in 1964.  I held these posts 
until November 30, 1970, which is when I assumed the position of 
President of the Syrian Arab Republic.  Initially, as President, my main 
goal was to strengthen the Armed Forces in order to defeat Israel.  
Currently, I would like to find a comprehensive peace settlement with 
Israel and the return of the Golan Heights.  
	 [My] regime remained a highly centralized, authoritarian 
structure based on an extensive deployment of security forces throughout 
the country (CQ 356).  I have started to gear my policies toward the 
emerging mercantile class.  With the support I garnered through my 
policies geared toward the mercantile class, I managed to win the 
election in 1991 with the Baath Party playing no role.  
	My present political views have changed a little from the past.  
In the early years of my rule, my political philosophy encompassed the 
ideas of Arab unity, Greater Syria, and the struggle against Zionism.  I 
believe that the way to solve the problems we face is through national 
unity, Syrian unity and pan-Arab unity.  I also believe that Greater 
Syria is located in a strategically important area, which should be the 
focus of an Arab political-military network against Israel, for both 
defensive and offensive purposes (Maoz 47).  Though, at this time, I am 
more inclined to negotiate with Israel now that I was in the early years 
of my rule. 
	Politically speaking, the European Union, Islamic Republic of 
Iran, and the Republic of Lebanon are my allies.  The Syrian-French 
relations are characterized by cordiality, fairness, and understanding 
(The British Broadcasting Corporation 1/19/96).  As for Syrian relations 
with Iran, we share views on important regional issues and have common 
interests in the region.  Our relations began in the early 1990s with the 
Damascus agreement with the Amal movement that ended the fighting between 
us.  Finally, there is unity between the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.  
There will be no Syrian peace agreement without Lebanon and no Lebanese 
peace agreement without Syria.
	The republic of Iraq is an opponent of mine.  The division 
between the two countries stems from three things, geopolitical rivalry, 
party schism, and hostile feelings amongst the leaders.  Saddam and I 
broke contact because we ultimately disagreed on who constituted the main 
threat to the Arabs. 
	My primary goals for foreign policy are guaranteeing national 
security, increasing influence among its Arab neighbors, and arriving at 
an Arab-Israeli peace settlement which includes the return of the Golan 
Heights.  As far as the Arab-Israeli Conflict is concerned, Syria has two 
goals:  to give support to the Palestinian cause and to recover the Golan 
Heights from Israel.  
Greatest Contributions
	One of my greatest contributions with respect to the Arab-Israeli 
Conflict is military parity with Israel.  With respect to the my state, I 
have strengthened its institutions, and people now believe in them, which 
is something of a new phenomenon.  


 Bibliography

The British Broadcasting Corporation  January 19, 1996.

Congressional Quarterly Inc.  The Middle East.  Mage Publishers, Inc., 1987.

Internet   gopher://dosfan.lib.uic.edu:70/OF-1%3A5700%3ASyria%2C%2010/95

Maoz, Moshe.  Asad  The Sphinx of Damascus.  New York:  Grove Weidenfeld, 
1988.

Seale, Patrick.  Asad:  The Struggle For The Middle East.  London:  I.B. 
Tauris & Co 	Ltd, 1988.