Who was Bassel al-Assad and how did Bashar al-Assad’s older brother die?

BASSEL al-Assad was the older brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and their father's original choice to be his successor.

Here is everything you need to know about the President-that-wasn't.

When was he born and who are the Assads?

Bassel was born on March 23, 1962, to President of Syria Hafez al-Assad and Anisa Makhlouf.

He was trained as a civil engineer and attained a PhD in military services.

He later told the media how he rarely saw his father and never had dinner as a family.

Although he never married, he was believed to be in a relationship with a Lebanese woman named Siham Asseily, who later married the deceased Lebanese politician Gebran Tueni.

Bassel was known as the Golden Knight due to his excellence on horseback.

How did he die?

Bassel (or “Basil”) was expected to become the next President of Syria, as the oldest male child of Hafez Al-Assad.

But on January 21, 1994, Bassel died in a car crash.

According to reports, he was driving to the Damascus airport to get a flight to Germany during foggy weather.

Two years before his death, Bassel became involved in politics and was seen on posters and banners standing next to his father.

His younger brother then took his place as next in line to the Presidency.

Bashar al-Assad inherited his powers in July 2000, a month after his military strongman father died.

Was he in the army?

Bassel served in the Syrian Army, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

According to the New York Times, he was leader of the Presidential Guards which protect the presidential palace.

He was also a keen horse rider and won many medals in equestrian competitions.