Syrian statesman, politician, and general who was President of Syria from 1971 to 2000, died before the Syrian presidential election, held on what date?
Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: حافظ الأسد‎ ‎ "Ḥāfiẓ al-ʾAsad ", ] ] ; 6 October 1930 – 10 June 2000) was a Syrian statesman, politician, and general who was President of Syria from 1971 to 2000. He was also Prime Minister from 1970 to 1971, as well as Regional Secretary of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and Secretary General of the National Command of the Ba'ath Party from 1970 to 2000.
February 2013 Damascus bombings On 21 February 2013 a series of car bombs were detonated in Damascus killing 83 people. The largest and deadliest of the bombs occurred near the headquarters of the Syria's ruling Ba'ath Party and the Russian Embassy, killing at least 60. Most of the victims were civilians including children.