original_query: Who is Rifaat Ali al-Assad?
query: Who is Rifaat Ali al-Assad?
answer: Rifaat Ali al-Assad is the younger brother of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, uncle of current President Bashar al-Assad, and a controversial figure alleged to have commanded forces during the Hama massacre.  He lived in exile for many years before returning to Syria in 2021. He held various positions of power within the Syrian military and government.