President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Sunday after meeting with his national security team, calling the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s “horrific” regime a “historic opportunity” for the long-time Syrian people.
“Finally, the Assad regime has fallen,” Biden said. “This regime brutalized, tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians.”
At the same time, “it is also a moment of danger and uncertainty,” Biden added, and said that the United States “will help Syria’s neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, should any threat arise.”
He also said the US is “mindful” of the safety of Americans in Syria, including an independent American journalist and Marine Corps veteran. Austin TiceHe was kidnapped while reporting in Syria in 2012. Biden said he will continue his commitment to return “(Tice) to his family.”
Syrian opposition fighters celebrate after the fall of the Syrian government in Damascus, Syria, on December 8, 2024.
Omar Sanadiki/AP
“This is a time of great risk and uncertainty,” said Biden. “But I also believe that this is the best chance in generations for Syrians to form a future without opposition.”
President-elect Donald Trump called the situation earlier Syria He called for a “mess” and against US involvement in the conflict.
“In any case, Syria is a mess, but it is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET THEM PLAY DO NOT PARTICIPATE!” Trump wrote publish in X.
On Saturday, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the US had “nothing to do with this offensive led by the designated terrorist organization Hay’at Tahir al-Sham (HTS),” and said the US would. work together with its allies and partners to demand de-escalation and protect US personnel and military positions.
Speaking at a defense conference on Saturday, before the rebels advanced on Damascus, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the speed and scale of the rebels’ rapid advance was due in part to Assad’s main backers — Iran, Russia and Hezbollah. “weakened and distracted”, in recent months.
That has left Assad “basically naked,” Sullivan said. “His strength is drained.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday afternoon that the fall of the Assad regime means “the Syrian people finally have reason to hope”.
“The United States strongly supports a peaceful transition of power to a responsible Syrian government through an inclusive Syrian-led process,” Blinken said. “During this transitional period, the Syrian people have every right to demand the preservation of state institutions, the restoration of key services and the protection of vulnerable communities.”
Earlier on Sunday, the military operations command of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said the president was not in the capital, writing: “We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”
The The Russian Foreign Ministry said On Sunday morning, Assad “decided to step down as president and leave the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power.” Russia and Iran were the two most important backers of the Assad government.
Trump said Russia, a longtime backer of the Assad regime, is “tied up in Ukraine” and apparently unable to intervene in Syria, and said ousting Assad “may be the best thing that could happen” to the Russian government.
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being wasted, too many families are being destroyed, and if it continues, it could turn into something much bigger and much worse,” Trump said.
In an interview with ABC News, retired Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, who led US Central Command during Trump’s first term, echoed the president’s assessment that the situation could lead to chaos.
“I’m not sure it’s ultimately going to be good news for the Syrian people,” McKenzie told “This Week” anchor Martha Raddatz. “You know, we could create an Islamic State there that would have profound negative consequences across the region. That’s possible. There are other options. And I think in the next 48, 72, 96 hours we — this will start to become clearer to us.”
“This is a significant moment in Syrian history,” McKenzie added. “I wish I was more hopeful that it would bring good news for the Syrian people. I think that’s not very clear at this point.”
Asked about the safety of the 900 US troops stationed in eastern Syria to contain ISIS, McKenzie said the fall of Assad could put him in a better place.
“Honestly, there’s probably less danger now than there was before, because what you see is the Iranians, Hezbollah in Lebanon and indeed the Russians now going after what just happened in Syria.” he said
The fall of the regime ends a 24-year reign, in 2000 Assad succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad. The Assad family ruled Syria since 1971.
Assad oversaw Syria’s descent into brutal civil war in 2011. Its security forces sought to suppress mass protests demanding democratic reforms as the Arab Spring hit the region. The dispute escalated into a bloody civil war that divided the nation along political, ethnic and religious lines.
Thanks to the chaos, ISIS rose in the Iraq-Syria border region and took over swathes of territory in the Levant region. The conflict also turned into the world’s biggest powers, the US, Russia, Iran, Israel and the Gulf states.
The United Nations estimated around 307,000 civilian deaths in Syria by the end of 2022, with 12 million people — more than half of the population of around 22 million in 2011 — forced from their homes, of whom around 5.4 million were still living. End of 2022
