An American citizen has become the first prime minister of the interim Syrian government, according to the New York Times.
Ghassan Hitto, 50, is a Syrian-born American citizen who lived in Texas and until recently, worked as an information technolgy executive.
Hitto's election was a tight one, he won by three votes 35-32; beating out Assad Mustafa, who served as a agricultural minister under Hafez al-Assad. Assad is the father of President Bashar al-Assad.
Accorrding to The Guardian, Hitto had recently joined efforts to get help for Syrian rebels. He gained popularity from his "humanitarian efforts, especially getting help for rebels in Northern Syria."
A tight election is not the end of Hitto's challenges. Air forces still belonging to Bashar al-Assad are still in the sky. If Hitto tries to establish authority in any of the rebel areas, he risks an air strike.
Also, not all forces who oppose Asssad, are on board with the idea of an interim government. According to The Times, Fahed al-Masri, a spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army's command, does not know how the interim government can be successful. He's curious as to how a government who has so little control of the actual country can be successful.
Hitto, on the other hand, believes that an interim government will keep the situation from getting worse.
"There is always a possibility that this regime might fall suddenly," he said, in a YouTube video according to the Times. "And we can't avoid a political vacuum in the country and the ensuing chaos unless there is a transitional government."
Hitto was born in Damascus. He obtained his M.B.A. from Indiana Wesleyan University in the 1980s.
After joining a coalition under activist Suhair Atassi, he found certain Syrian provinces were grossly underestimated by the United Nations in terms of the aid they needed. He wants the United States to provide more help to the rebel forces.
Hitto's wife Suzanne and his four children were all born in the United States.
