What if Bassel Assad become Syrian President rather than Bashar ?

Bassel was the original heir to the throne, so to speak, of the Syrian Regime, but was killed in a car accident resulting in his brother Bashar Assad, and ophthalmologist with a slight lisp becoming Syria's dictator.

If he had lived and gone on to be President, how would this affected the conflict in Syria ? Would it still have occurred ? and how much or less worse would it be than now ?
 
If it was Bassel al Assad rather than Bashar al Assad who became the President of Syria after Hafez al Assad, what changes would have occurred in the style of Government? As the same set of Ba'ath Party leaders and officials would have continued there wasn't much chance of a change in any case. The only difference was that Bassel had been anointed as successor some time back and might have received some training early. Bashar was trained to be an ophthalmologist and had to get acquainted with politics rather fast and unexpectedly. The differences in personal characters also might have some relevance. But on the whole the results would have been similar rather than different.
 
By accounts I've read Bassel was a playboy and a thug like Saddam's sons. Under him I expect that the regime may have cracked down harder much earlier.
 

Archibald

Banned
Not sure if tradding an Assad for another Assad may help poor Syrians. The whole family is pretty much a bunch of Ass... ads.
 
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