a key player in the middle east for decades particularly when it came to regional peace negotiations and fighting international terrorism. only one western head of state attended a son's funeral french president. you could read that false. leaders decided that if they showed syria some respect they might be able to influence its policy on lebanon you know. after assad's older son died french politicians try to figure out how to deal with bashar. was an ophthalmologist by training and had no experience as a political leader or an unknown quantity. but no one knew whether he would be up to the job that the group. also know if it. married his wife in two thousand the new president sought to portray himself as