Instead, Assad, the second son of former Syrian ruler Hafez Assad, planned to be an ophthalmologist. He studied in Syria and then London before his career as an eye doctor was cut short by his ...

A colossal statue of Hafez al-Assad was once a powerful symbol of Syria’s ruling regime, looming over the Damascus-Aleppo highway. Now, like that regime, it is toppled, and Syrians have been ...

Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria - January 14, 2025 The huge toppled statue of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in the Damascus countryside town of Deir Atiyam in Qalamoun remains a symbol of ...