'''Hafez al-Assad''' (1930 - 2000) was the president of [[Syria]] from 1970 to 2000. He was the leader of the [[secular]] Leftist Syrian [[Ba'athist]] party, but he had also close ties to Western countries. Assad was an [[Alawites|Alawite]]. | '''Hafez al-Assad''' (1930 - 2000) was the president of [[Syria]] from 1970 to 2000. He was the leader of the [[secular]] Leftist Syrian [[Ba'athist]] party, but he had also close ties to Western countries. Assad was an [[Alawites|Alawite]]. |