Like father, like son: Second generation Arab leaders bare teeth and play games with reform

Bashar al-Assad (R) became president of Syria in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad (L) who ruled Syria for 29 years. (File photo)

By JAMES M. DORSEY
SPECIAL TO AL ARABIYA

Any lingering hope that the gradual passing on of power from father to son over the last two decades in much of the Middle East and North Africa would prompt change was bu…