Episode five of the DAMALS podcast deals with a rather quiet coup in the Middle East – but one that had long-term consequences: It is about the rise of Hafiz al-Assad to President of Syria 50 years ago.
Assad, up until then his country’s defense minister, had gradually sidelined his former comrades and rivals for power in the socialist Ba’ath party and ultimately even had them thrown in prison. Relying on the military, he finally held the reins since November 1970. What was happening in Syria initially remained hidden from the global public. However, when a state visit from Libya arrived in Damascus on November 16, 1970, the fog cleared: the new strong man at the airport greeted the Libyan revolutionary leader Muammar al-Gaddafi with a smile.
And here is the podcast: