Maher al-Assad

Maher al-Assad is a key Syrian military commander and is widely considered the country's most powerful man after his brother, President Bashar al-Assad. After his brother Basil's 1994 death, Maher, while politically active, was not chosen to succeed his father as president; analysts speculate that this was likely due to either his youth or his temper. The position instead went to his older brother Bashar, then largely outside of politics.

Maher is one of his brother's most trusted advisers, and he is believed to be behind many of the anti-democratic moves taken by the current Syrian government. In the wake of the Arab Spring protests happening in Syria, Maher's name is feared by opponents of the government. One widely-circulated video claims to show Maher shooting at unarmed protesters. He is also considered a prime suspect in the investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

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