Magazine

After Assad

02/07/2013 13:55 By NEVILLE TELLER

Israel may find itself facing Muslim Brotherhood regimes in two of its neighbors – Egypt and Syria.

Syrian President Assad meets Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Jalili, Feb 1, 2013.

Photo by: REUTERS/Sana

The 13-year rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is drawing to a close, although the exact nature of its demise remains, at present, uncertain. It has been a long-drawn-out process. When he took power in 2000, Bashar inherited a formidable grip on power, initiated by his father Hafez. With members of the Alawite sect placed in key positions in the ruthless secret police and the military, both organizations were tightly integrated into the ruling élite. The process of dislodging it is taking mammoth efforts which, in turn, have resulted in truly terrible humanitarian consequences.

What is now a fully-fledged civil war in Syria began in March 2011 as one manifestation of the Arab Spring, then flaring across the Arab world. In April the Syrian Army, deployed to quell the uprising, began firing on demonstrators. Opposition forces, composed originally of defected soldiers and civilian volunteers, became increasingly armed and organized, but soon opportunistic jihadist bodies, supported from outside sources, were exploiting the chaotic situation on both sides.

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After Assad

Israel may find itself facing Muslim Brotherhood regimes in two of its neighbors – Egypt and Syria.

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