Eldest Son of Syria’s President Assad Is Killed in Car Crash

Presi dent Hafez Assad’s eldest son and presumed political heir to the leadership of Syria died Friday in an auto accident.

Basil Assad, 31, emerged two years ago as the expected successor to the 63-year-old president, who has ruled Syria with an iron grip since 1970. Basil Assad was considered his father’s favorite and was apparently being groomed to carry on the dynasty.

A Syrian army major and head of presidential security, Basil Assad would have been constitutionally barred from assuming the presidency until he was 40. But he was expected to inherit his father’s office, or at least become a front man for Hafez Assad’s powerful lieutenants, when the president passes from the scene.

Basil was headed for the airport to catch a flight to Germany, driving at speeds of up to 80 m.p.h. along the foggy highway, sources close to the family said. He missed the airport turnoff and slammed into a barrier, they reported, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Basil’s cousin, Hafez Makhlouf, 24, was treated for a head wound. A back-seat passenger, the chauffeur who would return the car, was unhurt, the sources said.

Although the death could affect Syria’s future, it was not expected to change Syria’s negotiating strategy or positions in Middle East peace efforts.

At his summit with President Clinton in Geneva on Sunday, Hafez Assad said he was serious about reaching a peace treaty with Israel.

Thousands of Syrians took to the streets after the accident, some weeping as they converged on Assad University Hospital, where Basil Assad’s body lay.

“Look at the people around and you can realize how popular Basil was,” said Cpl. Kaser Asfour, 27, of Hama.

The funeral was to be held today in Kardahah, Assad’s hometown in the northwest, after noon prayers.