Kathy Zahler

Hafez al-Assad became president of Syria in 1971, following a long line of military leaders. At first, his goals included achieving pan-Arabism, more evenly distributing the nation's oil wealth, and extending the party's power by reaching into every aspect of Syrians' lives. However, through a series of poorly planned economic programs, censorship, and old-fashioned greed and corruption, Assad and his government brought intimidation and the loss of...