Washington: With the opposition forces capturing the key Syrian cities of Aleppo, Daraa, Hama, Homs and Damascus, the Assad regime has been overthrown and as per latest reports, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who fled the country, has taken asylum in Russia. As global leaders reacted to the fall of Assad rule differently, the outgoing US President Joe Biden has called this a ‘fundamental act of justice’ and how this is a ‘historic opportunity for people’.
‘Assad Regime Brutalised, Tortured and Killed Thousands of Innocent Syrians’
The fall of the Assad regime that brutalised, tortured and killed thousands of innocent Syrians over the past half a century is a historic opportunity for the people of the country, outgoing US President Joe Biden said on Sunday. Biden spoke at the White House hours after rebel groups took over the country following more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Bashar Assad and his family.
“After 13 years of civil war in Syria and more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office and flee the country. We’re not sure where he is, but there’s word that he’s in Moscow. At long last, the Assad regime has fallen This regime brutalised, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians”, Biden said.
‘Fall of Regime A Fundamental Act of Justice, Historic Opportunity for People’
The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” he said. It is also a moment of risk and uncertainty, Biden said, adding that over the past few weeks, the support of Hezbollah, Iran and Russia to the Assad regime had collapsed. He observed a new opportunity for the people of Syria now. The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the US says is a terrorist organisation with links to al-Qaida. However, the group says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida.
Biden Shares Blueprint of US Support to Syria After Civil War
Joe Biden has shared an extensive blueprint, a plan of the support United States will extend to Syria after this civil war that has overthrown Bashar Al-Assad. Here’s what all US will be doing for the West Asian country…
US will support Syria’s neighbours, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Israel, should any threat arise from Syria during this period of transition. Biden will speak with leaders of the region in the coming days and has had long discussions with all of their people. He will also be sending senior officials from his administration to the region as well.The United States will help ensure stability in eastern Syria, protecting the US personnel against any threats, and their mission against ISIS will be maintained, including security of detention facilities, where ISIS fighters are being held as prisoners. US is clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capabilities and create a haven and they will not let that happen. US forces has already conducted a dozen precision strikes, airstrikes, within Syria, targeting ISIS camps and operatives. Biden said that US will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations to establish a transition away from the Assad regime towards independent and sovereign Syria, with a new constitution, and a new government that serves all Syrians. And this process will be determined by the Syrian people themselves.
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the US would closely monitor developments as they unfold and engage with our partners in the region. “We will support international efforts to hold the Assad regime and its backers accountable for atrocities and abuses perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the use of chemical weapons and the unjust detention of civilians such as Austin Tice,” he said. Blinken said the United States strongly supports a peaceful transition of power to an accountable Syrian government through an inclusive Syrian-led process. During this transitional period, the Syrian people have every right to demand the preservation of state institutions, the resumption of key services, and the protection of vulnerable communities, he said.
Trump Says ‘US Should Have Nothing to Do With It’
Where Biden is praising the rebel forces for overthrowing Assad, his successor, Donald Trump has made a contradicting statement. A day earlier, Trump ruled out any role for the US in Syria. “In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend and THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Syria Civil War That Overthrew President Bashar Al-Assad: Complete Timeline
Capture of Aleppo on November 27
The rebels who have retained control of Idlib since 2020, advanced eastward toward Aleppo in what came as a “surprise attack” for many, on Nov 27. Two days later, the insurgents gained control of Aleppo, forcing the military to announce a “temporary withdrawal”.
Rebels Declare Victory Over Hama on November 28
On Nov 28, the Syrian military confirmed the deaths of dozens of soldiers in the fighting. After reigniting the conflict which laid dormant for years, the militants, on Dec 1 reportedly turned their approach southward and attempted to seize control of Hama, a city south of Aleppo. On Dec 5, the rebels declared their victory over Hama.
Opposition Forces Take Over Homs on December 6
On Dec 6, the rebels seize two towns on the outskirts of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city. About 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hama, Homs is the gateway to Damascus and the location of one of Syria’s two state-owned oil refineries. Capturing it would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support. Opposition forces take Homs after government forces abandon it on Dec 7. The city holds the significance of a strategic location as it stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base.
Capture of Damascus: Final Step of Rebels’ Offensive
After Homs, the rebels encircled the Syrian capital Damascus as part of the ‘final stage’ of their offensive. On Dec 8, Syrian state television airs a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all prisoners have been set free. HTS commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani visits the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and calls Assad’s fall a victory for “the Islamic nation.” Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said that Syria’s government is ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.
President Bashar Al-Assad Flees Syria, Seeks Asylum in Russia
On December 8, as the rebel forces took control of Damascus, reports suggested that President Bashar Al-Assad has fled the country, he took a plane from Damascus International Airport to an undisclosed destination. Amid growing speculation regarding the whereabouts of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family, Russian media reported that they have arrived in Russia. Further, it has also been reported that Assad and his family sought asylum in Russia, which they have been granted by the Russian government.
‘They Brutalised, Tortured…’: Biden Shares US Action Plan After Assad Regime Collapse in Syria world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World Breaking Headlines Today
