Bashar al-Assad: profile of a technocrat with an iron fist The blue-eyed, tall Assad, who sports a thin moustache, was only 34 when he became president, but quickly earned a reputation as a modernist and began to implement economic reforms liberalising the private sector. He formed his first cabinet in 2001, composed mainly of technocrats, in an attempt to lure in foreign investors amid new legislation easing financial restrictions. But political life under Bashar al-Assad proved similar to that of his father, as Syria's renowned security forces continued to clamp down on any opposition with an iron fist. A short-lived "Damascus Spring," which opened the door to political debate after the death of Assad senior, was quickly suppressed by the "old guard" as dozens of intellectuals ended up in jail. Known for his cool temperament even in times of crisis, Bashar al-Assad has been compared to his father in his skilful navigation of local and regional crises. But he has come under severe criticism for his human rights record by groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. "He keeps his cool even in the most complex situations, and some have criticised him for waiting too long," a close friend of the president said. "Many around him thought he should immediately address his people when the current crisis broke out, but he thought it best to wait until things calmed," he added. He is the king of timing. Born on September 11, 1965, Mr Assad is fluent in English and French and studied ophthalmology in Tehran from 1988 and 1992 before moving to London. However, his life changed in 1994 when his elder brother Bassel, who was being groomed for the presidency, died in a car crash and Bashar returned to Damascus to embrace politics. In a country where military and politics are intertwined, Mr Assad became a tank battalion commander in 1994 and rose to the rank of colonel in 1999. He was elected to the top body of the ruling Baath party at its first congress in 15 years in June 2000, and parliament passed an amendment to the constitution, scrapping the minimum age limit of 40 to allow Bashar to run for president. He was the only candidate for the presidency after his father's death and took office as Syria's 16th president on July 11, 2000. In 2007, Assad won a referendum by 97 per cent of votes extending his term for another seven years. His already tense ties with Washington soured in the wake of the 2005 assassination of Lebanon's former premier Rafiq Hariri in a bombing widely blamed on Damascus. The United States only resumed full diplomatic relations with Syria last January. In recent years, Mr Assad has nurtured ties to Iran as well as Russia, China and Turkey. He had also notably moved closer to France. Mr Assad has two sons and a daughter with his wife, Asmara, who hails from a wealthy Sunni family. He is known in his entourage for his dry sense of humour, and his hobbies include cycling, photography and keeping up with the latest technology.