Who was in ousted Syrian President Assad’s inner circle and where are they now?

Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — After insurgents toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, many senior officials and members of his dreaded intelligence and security services appear to have melted away. Activists say some of them have managed to flee the country while others went to hide in their hometowns. For more than five decades, the Assad family has ruled Syria with an iron grip. Assad himself turned to brutal tactics to crush dissent when protests of his rule erupted in 2011. Several of his top officials have also been accused of abuses and some are wanted in other countries. Russian state media say Assad himself has fled to Moscow.