On the back of the Guardian's vanguard ground work to breaking 'The Assad Emails' into the public domain, here's a look at the juiciest revelations to emerge from this sensational finding. Just yesterday, the UK's newspaper dedicated a special space to these Assad-Leaks. The British publication yesterday and today ran with an exclusive preview into the 'real' cyberlives of President Bashar al-Assad and his First Lady Asma al-Assad when it shared an intimate batch of emails between the leading family and their inner circle. The Guardian emphasized the highly sensitive and private nature to these craftily procured emails, dispatched in a country renowned for its secrecy and tight surveillance. The Guardian came by this email cache through a Syrian informant from the opposition.
The Assad Email Leaks Cause Lion's Share of Embarrassment
According the the Guardian, these emails were sent or received by Assad's wife in the time between March 2011 and Feb 2012. When Syria was flaring up until its climactic March.
The hacked email inbox contains a scanned photo-ID of Bashar himself, along with personal images, documents and video files he had exchanged with wife and his close handlers. These additional indicting attachments allowed the Guardian, already under pressure, to verify the authenticity of these 'leaks'. They assured their readership of their process of checking and re-checking sources in support of the integrity of their findings.
Across the leaks, a picture emerges of the leading couple's (particular the wife's) lavish spending and decadent lifestyle since 2011. Some have branded this luxury wife 'the Marie Antoinette of Syria'. A painfully ironic contrast is explicit as Asma al-Assad obsesses over her hand-picked furnishings and designer shoes, while her population festers in their bloodbath protest.
The most eye-opening revelation disclosed in the emails is undoubtedly Asma Assad's shopping fixation: She covertly shopped under the alias Alia Kayali. She also signed off her emails as AAA. Other shopping items in her online basket, include stylish bullet proof vests for her husband.
More fascinating highlights include leader Bashar receiving advice from Iranian e-links, as well as advice Asma received from the Qatari Sheikh's daughter.
Bashar al-Assad was an avid iPad user, and it would please fans of the late Apple CEO to know that he ordered a copy of Steve Jobs' biography.
Emails are strewn with 'love u's' and kisses, and include Bashar al Assad's offbeat musical taste.
