Syria's Assad flees country after rebels topple government
President Joe Biden speaks about collapse of Syrian government
Syria’s President Bashar Assad fled the country Sunday after opposition forces toppled the government, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control. President Joe Biden held a press conference to address the major shift in power in the Middle East Sunday afternoon.
Syria’s President Bashar Assad fled the country Sunday after opposition forces toppled the government, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday that Assad had left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups, and gave "instructions" to "transfer power peacefully."
Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country.
Crowds gathered in Syria's Damascus Sunday to celebrate the fall of Assad’s government with chants, prayers and the occasional gunfire after opposition fighters entered the capital following a stunning advance.
European leaders are also celebrating Assad’s fall: The European Union’s top diplomat said the collapse of his rule underlines how weak his supporters in Russia and Iran have become.
Assad’s downfall
US leaders question what kind of leadership will rise in Syria after Assad regime collapses
U.S. officials and analysts are trying to figure out exactly what type of government is going to be taking over Syria. the rebels that have been fighting against former President Bashar Assad have also been linked to terror groups. white House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says the U.S. would take action if ISIS tries to take power in Syria. Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution tells FOX 5’s On The Hill that rebel leaders have signaled they would not form an Islamic state but questions remain.
Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. Only 34 years old, the Western-educated ophthalmologist appeared as a geeky tech-savvy fan of computers with a gentle demeanor.
But when faced with protests against his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to the brutal tactics of his father in an attempt to crush dissent. As the uprising hemorrhaged into an outright civil war, he unleashed his military to blast opposition-held cities, with support from allies Iran and Russia.
International rights groups and prosecutors alleged widespread use of torture and extrajudicial killings in Syria’s government-run detention centers. The war has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million.
The conflict appeared to be frozen in recent years, with Assad’s government regaining control of most of Syria’s territory while the northwest remained under the control of opposition groups and the northeast under Kurdish control.
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Syrians in the DMV react to fall of Assad regime
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has left the country after a fast-moving offensive by a coalition of his opponents ousted what President Joe Biden called a regime that brutalized, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of people. Experts say it’s still too early to know what the long-term implications of this are but members of the Syrian community in the DMV are rejoicing
Although Damascus remained under crippling Western sanctions, neighboring countries had begun to resign themselves to Assad’s continued hold on power. The Arab League reinstated Syria’s membership last year, and Saudi Arabia in May announced the appointment of its first ambassador since severing ties with Damascus 12 years ago.
However, the geopolitical tide turned quickly when opposition groups in northwest Syria in late November launched a surprise offensive. Government forces quickly collapsed while Assad’s allies, preoccupied by other conflicts — Russia’s war in Ukraine and the yearlong wars between Israel and the Iran-backed militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas — appeared reluctant to forcefully intervene.