Israeli intelligence chief: Syrian president could be toppled

Israeli intelligence chief: Syrian president could be toppled
4/30/2005
According to the head of the Israeli military intelligence in an interview publish Friday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could be ousted from power as he believes his regime is fracturing under immense political pressure.
"His regime's stability is in great danger today, more than in the past. The economic problems will get worse" following Syria's troop pullout from Lebanon completed this week, Aharon Zeevi said in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot.
"He has problems with the Americans because of…Iraq, water problems with Turkey, and an argument over territory that he should have transferred to Jordan. He is seen as a weak leader. I'm not sure that Bashar has the strength...to make a decision. ... If he does not show leadership, Bashar could certainly become a victim of circumstances," Zeevi said.
Israel is still technically at war with Syria and still occupies the Golan Heights, a territory seized from Syria during the 1967 war.
"People are already saying that perhaps Bashar is not supplying the goods, that perhaps he should be replaced," Zeevi said.
The intelligence chief believes General Asaf Shaukat, head of intelligence and Assad's brother-in-law, and the president's brother, Maher Assad, are possible leadership contenders.