Syria: Hafez al-Assad (1930 - 2000), was president of Syria from 1971 to his death...

Hafez al-Assad (6 October 1930 - 10 June 2000) was the President of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule was praised for consolidating the power of the central government after decades of coups and counter-coups. He also drew criticism for repressing his own people, in particular for ordering the Hama massacre of 1982, which has been described as "the single deadliest act by any Arab government against its own people in the modern Middle East". Human Rights groups have detailed thousands of extra-judicial executions he committed against opponents of his regime.