What was unusual about Bashar al-Assad?

Answer 1

Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, is unusual in that he was not initially expected to lead the country; he was a trained ophthalmologist with little political experience before ascending to power after his father's death in 2000. His rise to leadership came at a time when many anticipated a more reformist approach, but he ultimately presided over a brutal crackdown on dissent during the Syrian Civil War, leading to widespread international condemnation. Additionally, his regime's reliance on sectarian divisions and the use of chemical weapons marked a stark deviation from norms of governance.