Is the Iranian government supporting a psychopath in Syria?

In January 2014, Orient TV released a four-part documentary about “Bashar’s Secret Life”.[1] Based on al-Assad’s hacked emails [2] and high-profile interviews with former Syrian officials and politicians from Assad’s inner circle, the documentary paints a picture of the Syrian president as an irrational, irresponsible dictator who craves power and would not let anything stand in the way of his desires, even if this was millions of people protesting against his rule.

The first episode provides a historical overview of how Bashar al-Assad was unlawfully installed as president following his father’s death in 2000; how the Syrian revolution started in March 2011 and how al-Assad dealt with it in an irresponsible manner that really angered Syrians. Subsequent episodes reveal how he spent hours chatting with his lovers, shopping online and listening to Western music while thousands of Syrian protesters were being murdered by his troops.

The documentary also reveals who al-Assad’s inner, trusted circle are, and how he frequently sought their advice to ‘manage the crisis’. These are known to include Iranian ‘advisors’.

In December 2013, New Republic published a long article entitled “Bashar Al Assad: An Intimate Profile of a Mass Murderer”.[3] The article traces Bashar al-Assad’s personal development and shows how the “shy”, “weak” and “eager to please” son would turn these traits into a crave for power and recognition at any cost.

COMMENT FROM THE EDITOR:
We do not want to personalise political struggles but Bashar al-Assad’s psychopathic characteristics may be helpful in explaining some aspects of the madness unfolding in Syria. And they should make us wonder: is this really a president worth being supported by the Iranian government? The man is heading towards the abyss. Why do we Iranians have to follow him?

We hope someone will translate these English resources on the personality of Bashar al-Assad into Farsi one day, because Iranians really need to read and watch them to understand who their government is supporting.

NOTES:
[1] Part 1 is available at:

)

Part 2:

)

Part 3:

)

Part 4:

)

[2] Al-Assad’s hacked emails were published and analysed by the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/14/assad-emails-lift-lid-inner-circle

[3] The article is available at: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115993/bashar-al-assad-profile-syrias-mass-murderer

 

•