A report published by the American magazine 'The Atlantic' has revealed unusual aspects of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's life in his final years in power. It indicates that during the Syrian revolution, when the country was experiencing its worst crisis, Assad was preoccupied with video games and entertainment. According to sources close to the presidential palace in Damascus, Assad spent long hours playing on his mobile phone, notably the game Candy Crush, and following entertainment content, while fierce battles were raging across large parts of Syria. The report also suggests that his focus on entertainment was accompanied by reliance on a narrow circle of confidants and the sidelining of traditional leadership within the system, which contributed to a growing gap between him and his political and security entourage. The magazine adds that this portrait of a president immersed in games and entertainment stood in stark contrast to the official narrative that portrayed him as a leader in control. The publication considers this contradiction to be one of the features of weakness that preceded the rapid collapse of the regime in late 2024. The report concludes by noting that these details about Assad's life once again raise questions about the nature of his governance during the war years and the extent to which his obsession with games and his personal lifestyle influenced fateful decisions that altered the course of Syria.
