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Syrian Arab Republic
Official Name: Syrian Arab Republic
Ruling Party: Ḥizb al-Ba'th al-'Arabī al-Ishtirākī – Quṭr Sūriyānote
Ideology: Neo-Ba'athismnote
Syria, the birthplace of Aflaq and Pan-Arabism, is gripped by a terrible perversion of Arab Socialism. Hijacked by the counter-revolutionary Assadists after the failed experiment that was the United Arab Republic, Syria has become nothing short of a puppet to the princes of Riyadh and the bankers in Washington in the eyes of the Arab World. Internally, the Syrian Regional Branch has degraded into a corrupt gang of thieves under Rifaat al-Assad, the Butcher of Hama. But no autocracy can last forever, and Assad's time is running short. General Tropes
- Apathetic Citizens: If the Ba'ath Party wins Syria's first democratic elections and stays in power, Syrians will lose their hopes in removing the Ba'athists from power and become numb to politics as the Arab Spring transforms into the Arab Winter.
- Allohistorical Allusion: The Syrian government's attempts to open up the political system under increasing pressure from opponents of the regime mirrors the events of the Damascus Spring
in our timeline. - Crapsaccharine World: Syria isn't the worst place to live in. Living standards are actually quite decent, and the country has the necessary infrastructure and resources to continue developing its economy without any issues. People go about their day as usual, and the streets are mostly safe. However, there is deep, widespread dissatisfaction with the government that could materialize into violence under the right conditions, while the country is ruled by an opportunistic dictator who is known to have massacred and tortured anyone who dared to stand up against him and his family. It's only a matter of time before things get worse.
- Civil War: If Assad decides to launch a self-coup after losing the country's first free elections, a wave of protests and mutinies will eventually bring Syria into a civil war between Assad's government and the democratic opposition.
- Full-Circle Revolution: If the Ba'ath Party wins Syria's first elections, the opposition will slowly break apart and fail to provide an alternative to the Ba'ath Party, allowing them to stay in power for the next few years. This leads Syria right back to where it was before the Arab Spring, with the Ba'ath Party still on top, only this time with a democratic façade.
- Realpolitik: Under Rifaat Al-Assad, Syria has sought a more independent foreign policy disconnected from Ba'athist ideology. In practice, this has led to Syria distancing itself from its former allies and pursuing warmer relations with the Americans and the Saudis.
- State Sec: The Brigades for the Defense of the Revolution, simply known as the Defense Companies, is an all-Alawite paramilitary force that specializes on special operations and urban warfare. The Defense Companies were responsible for brutally crushing the Islamist Uprisings during the eighties, and their continued existence makes Syrians think twice before trying to rise up against Assad.
- We Used to Be Friends: Shortly after the United Arab Republic (of which Syria was a founding member of) broke apart, Assad and his clique of military officers couped the Syrian government and ousted President Aflaq in a "Corrective Revolution". This led to Syria becoming estranged from other Ba'athist states, failing to reconcile with them over ideological differences and befriending their mortal enemies.
- Wild Card: Syria's foreign policy is unpredictable at best. The country acts on its own interests and is willing to switch sides so long as it benefits them, having jumped from the Iraqis to the Saudis and, more recently, approaching the Americans.
President of Syria
Rifaat al-Assad
Role: President
Party: Ḥizb al-Ba'th al-'Arabī al-Ishtirākī – Quṭr Sūriyānote
Ideology: Neo-Ba'athismnote , Personalistic Dictatorshipnote (Arab Winter, Syrian Civil War), Transitioning Democracynote (Arab Spring), Dominant-Party Democracynote (Arab Winter, Assadism Legitimized)
President Rifaat al-Assad was a co-conspirator of the Corrective Revolution that ousted Michel Aflaq, having worked alongisde his brother, Hafez, until the his death. Since then, Rifaat has led Syria into an entirely new direction. One that has left Syria with few friends in a pond of sharks.- Allohistorical Allusion: In our timeline, Rifaat Al-Assad tried to coup the Syrian government after his brother was unable to properly govern due to health issues. The coup was a failure, and Rifaat was disgraced and sent into exile. In this timeline, Hafez Al-Assad was died after his heart attack and power was shared between Rifaat, who became President, and a troika of important Ba'ath Party members. As Syria fell into disarray, Rifaat rallied the support of the military to purge his rivals and entrench himself in power.
- Corrupt Politician: Rifaat is seen as the face of corruption by the Syrian people. He has accumulated a large sum of personal wealth since his rise to power, becoming the richest man in Syria.
- Cincinnatus: If he loses the elections, he can choose to concede and allow for a peaceful transfer of power to the opposition, retiring from politics afterwards and focusing on his business career and personal life instead.
- Nepotism: Most of his male relatives hold high-ranking government positions or are generals in the Syrian Army.
- Opportunistic Bastard: He has no personal convictions and has chased after power for the sole reason of enriching himself and his family.
- President for Life: He has been President since 1983, with no term limits or significant internal opposition to stop him from staying in power for the rest of his life if he wishes to do so.
- Red Baron: He is known as the "Butcher of Hama" for directing the Defense Companies against the Islamist Uprisings of the 1980s.
- Sketchy Successor: While Hafez was no saint, he at least introduced some pragmatic reforms that generally benefitted Syrians, and was still a Pan-Arabist who followed Ba'athist ideas. Rifaat, on the other hand, is a selfish kleptocrat who has done nothing to help Syria and its people.
- The Coup:
- After Hafez Al-Assad died of a heart attack in 1983, Rifaat, who was the designated successor, would rally the military by his side over the following year and purge the party of his rivals, securing his position as Syria's President.
- If he doesn't win Syria's first free elections, he has the option to launch a self-coup and re-establish himself as Syria's dictator, cracking down on his opponents and driving the country towards civil conflict.
