Some have argued that Modor is bluffing and that his campaign against his father is a mere scheme to get him into Damascus, hopefully close to Bashar so that he can help set up a coup. Rifaat is known to have ties with some factions in the Syrian army, some leading members of the Baath Party, some Western countries and even some Israeli circles. At a certain point, Rifaat had enough power to prompt Assad into expelling him out of Syria, some diplomats and analyst said. They argue that he is certainly a tough opposition for Bashar. Today, Rifaat is also said to have a wide circle of supporters amidst the Syrian opposition in exile.
Sources suggest some Arab countries had tried to mediate between the two brothers.
These attempts failed apparently due to Rifaat's insistence that he should be the only heir to power in Syria. Bassel El-Assad, Bashar's older brother who died in a car accident a few years ago, was Assad's first choice for successor.