Aniseh al assad biography of michael

Aniseh Makhlouf, who died on 6 February aged 86, had been at the heart of Syrian politics for almost half a century, first as close confidant to her husband, former ruler Hafez al-Assad, and then to her son, Bashar.

ABSTRACT.

She was not just the powerful matriarch to the Assads, but also to her own Alawite clan, the Makhloufs, who dominate Syria's elite. To Syrians, he is emblematic of the rampant corruption and nepotism that has governed the country for decades and was vilified by demonstrators in the protests that spiralled into Syria's civil war.

Aniseh married Hafez al-Assad in and became first lady when the former air force lieutenant became president in When Bashar al-Assad took power in on his father's death, Aniseh became a valued advisor, although her relationship with his wife, Asma, a British-born Sunni, was rumoured to be strained. In the days following her death , it has been argued that Aniseh's counsel was behind Bashar's brutal crushing of the pro-democracy protests that quickly descended into the armed uprising that has decimated Syria today.

But some observers claim that, while clearly influential, there is no firm evidence that she played the decisive role. In my view, Bashar did not consent to a harsh crackdown because Mommy told him to do it; rather, he did so [because] he was convinced by his security chiefs that they could put down the uprising in a matter of weeks [ One rumour about the mysterious matriarch that does appear to ring true, however, is that of tension between her and Asma, Bashar's young wife, a former investment banker.

Nor is there any doubting the dominance of the Assad and Makhlouf families over both the Syrian economy and the organs of the state, particularly when it comes to Rami Makhlouf, said Julien Barnes-Dacey, a Syria-focused analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He was an agent of enrichment for the Assad family at large.

They all bear a common responsibility for what happened.

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Iran's role in the Syrian conflict, drawing on the perspective of major regional state and non-state actors.

Barnes-Dacey said that the Syrian revolution and the war that followed it has only served to strengthen the nepotistic and familial ties between the Assads and the Makhloufs in Syria. And as Bashar looks to be on the front foot, ahead of the government offensive on Aleppo, this is unlikely to change. Above and beyond the sectarian dimension, there is a family dimension.