Hafez al-Assad , the iron-willed military man who ruled Syria for three decades , was in power just a few years when he laid the cornerstone .
Hafez al-Assad /people/person/nationality Syria
NNP NNP , DT JJ JJ NN WP VBD NNP IN CD NNS , VBD IN NN RB DT JJ NNS WRB PRP VBD DT NN .
Hafez al-Assad
PERSON
Syria
LOCATION
/people/person/nationality