The regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted on Dec. 8 (Sunday) as rebel forces swept into the capital city of Damascus, while the dictator and his family were given asylum in Russia, the Kremlin confirmed.
“Of course, such decisions cannot be made without the head of state. It is [Putin’s} decision,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters on Monday, Dec. 9.
al-Assad’s prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, said that he would transfer power to the rebel-led Salvation Government, putting an end to more than 50 years of the authoritarian rule of the Assad family. According to al-Jazeera, a temporary authority would be led by Mohamed al-Bashir, who led the Salvation Government before the rebels launched their assaults across Syria.
Bashar’s departure leaves many jubilant about his removal, but also unsure of what the future holds.
End of a regime
Since the beginning of Syria’s civil war in 2011, more than half a million people have been killed. Of the 23 million people living in Syria before the war, half of them have lost their homes. As Syria’s economy struggled, al-Assad had become more unpopular among both the general public and his own military forces.
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His regime had to rely on Russian and Iranian aid to support his weakened military against his enemies. However, with Russia and Iran distracted by other issues, al-Assad was left to fend for himself, analysts say.
With Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, Iran’s proxy force Hezbollah was forced to shift focus against the former, depriving al-Assad of more aid.
Weakened and left alone, al-Assad’s forces were vulnerable to the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). A former branch of al-Qaeda, the insurgent group distanced itself from the more radical beliefs, claiming to be “a more moderate group,” AP News wrote.
The group and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani — who had returned to using his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa — were designated terrorists by the U.S. Al-Golani is a former member of Al-Qaeda, the group that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed over 3,000 Americnas.
On Nov. 27, rebel forces seized the moment and struck government-controlled areas across northwestern Syria, said to have liberated several villages in Aleppo province. After the city of Aleppo fell to the insurgents on Nov. 30, the Syrian military attempted to retake it, but received little aid from its Russian and Iranian allies. One by one, more Syrian major cities fell to the rebels until they reached Damascus on Dec. 6.
Finally, on Dec. 8, Bashar al-Assad had been deposed, with al-Sharaa calling the former’s removal a victory for “the Islamic nation.”
“My heart longed for this moment,” al-Sharaa said. “There is not a single household in Syria that the war has not touched.”
Syria’s future uncertain
With al-Assad’s fall, Syrians flocked across the big cities to celebrate.
“We had a purpose and a goal and now we are done with it,” rebel fighter Firdous Omar said, hoping to finally return to his life as a farmer. “We want the state and security forces to be in charge.”
As power is being transferred, al-Sharaa shared on social media that “public institutions will remain under the supervision of the prime minister until they are officially handed over.”
“A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory,” al-Sharaa told a crowd at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Dec. 8.
Thousands of prisoners had been freed from al-Assad’s prisons.
People were also visiting Sednaya prison — the most infamous torture complex for the Assad regime — where those convicted were said to never leave.
Even as cheers filled the streets, there was also uncertainty, with concerns over how the country will be governed moving forward. Worries rise over the possibility of the militant Islamic State (ISIS) group taking advantage of the power vacuum.
HTS is still recognized as a terrorist group by the United Nations (UN) and other countries, despite disavowing its al-Qaeda origins. al-Sharaa may have assured Christian and Kurdish Syrians that they are safe, but the HTS’ history of abuse against its political enemies leave many fearful of what might come next.
Meanwhile, Israel moved to take over Syria-controlled areas of the Golan Heights, and sank the Syrian navy in port. It also suspects that Syria may possess chemical weapons and hidden missile sites.
With al-Assad’s fall, Israel may also see it as an advantage against Iran. Russia, meanwhile, has military bases in Syria to spread its influence across the Middle East, with the Kremlin saying they were willing to discuss with the new authorities. The U.S., which maintains a force of about 900 troops in the country, has said they will remain there.
