Actually, his older brother was in line to take over, but died in a car accident about 5 or 6 yrs before Haffez died. Bashir was groomed by his father for the job. He learned everything dad taught him.
He very probably killed his brother, and is a pathological sadist.
He does, however, have principles which makes him more of an ally than Obama and his friends Ahmadinajad, AQ and the Muslim Brotherhood. And Christians are not on his list of hate-objects.
Kind of strange that a nerdy Opthamologist, educated in the West and seemingly mild mannered would turn out to be what he is. I think Mustafa Tlas and the Old Guard pushed him to this point. I also think he knows that if he does not kill, he will be killed.