from france24.......
"Facing unprecedented opposition from the streets and growing isolation on the international front, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can still rely on his family. The Assad clan, which comes from the minority Alawi community (around 12% of the Syrian population), has been at the helm of the country since 1970. Bashar took over from his father Hafez al-Assad, who died in 2000, but his leadership relies on the unflinching support of his next-of-kin.
Born in 1968, the younger brother of Syria’s president is the head of the Republican Guard, an elite troop composed of 12,000 soldiers, as well as the army’s 4th Armoured Division. These two posts make Maher a major figure on both the domestic and international fronts, particularly in relation to Syria’s alliance with Iran. According to Bassam Jaara, a London-based Syrian journalist and critic of Bashar, Maher’s influence cannot be overstated: "He is the commander of the army’s two most powerful units. It is normal if he has the last word.”
If Bashar had, until recently, been considered the reformer within the family, Maher is by all accounts its hardliner. He is the “the ruthless face of power”, in the words of Ignatius Leverrier, a former diplomat and author of a blog about Syria on the French daily Le Monde's website. Maher also oversees the commanders of the Shabiha militia. This armed group is made up almost exclusively of Alawites and is charged with defending the interests of the Assad clan"...............READ MORE
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