In just over a week, a lightning rebel offensive has collapsed five decades of draconian Assad rule. Al Majalla looks back at the political career of the former Syrian president.

After over two decades of rule, following three decades of his father Hafez al-Assad's rule, Bashar has fled following a lightning rebel offensive that swept the country

From France to South Korea, US democratic allies are descending into political chaos

One of Syria's four largest cities, Hama's history pre-dates Christianity. However, it is most famously known for a bloody assault carried out by Hafez al-Assad in 1982, which killed thousands.

After taking Aleppo and Hama, armed Syrian opposition factions are making their way further south as the regime increasingly appears to be hollowing out

After years of relative quiet, renewed fighting in Syria could be the new US administration's first major foreign policy challenge

The signs are bad but there is international agreement when it comes to Syria. If they act now, Arab states can still re-establish control over events, but the usual statements of support won't cut it

The opposition fighters making such strides on the battlefield want to carry on all the way to Damascus. For everyone else, there are reasons to call a halt to proceedings sooner rather than later