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“Rebel fighters have captured the Syrian capital of Damascus, effectively toppling the Assad regime that has been in power in the country since 1971. Forces led by opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered the city in the early hours of Sunday morning, before appearing on state television to declare Syria to now be ‘free’…
“Following the Arab Spring, a number of factions opposed to Assad formed - among them HTS, which was established in 2011 as an affiliate of al-Qaeda and had early involvement from the leader of Islamic State. It is still proscribed a terrorist group by the UN, the US and others. The leader of the Islamist group, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, has attempted to reform its image, breaking with al-Qaeda and pledging tolerance for Syria's minorities.” BBC
“Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russian media said Sunday.” AP News
Many on both sides urge the US to ensure that extremists do not take power in Syria:
“With Mr. Assad gone the U.S. still has interests to protect in Syria. One interest is to block the rise of a jihadist state or enclave in Syria. The U.S. has a small military base in Syria with a mission of protecting against the revival of Islamic State. Thousands of ISIS fighters and families are detained by Kurdish forces in Syria…
“The rebel charge into Damascus was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization. But its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, broke with ISIS in 2012 and al Qaeda in 2016 and has been saying he wants a diverse government that tolerates minorities. The U.S. can engage with Mr. Jawlani and test his sincerity. A stable Syria that wants to rebuild rather than export revolution would be a welcome development.”
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal
“Before Mr. Assad’s fall, President-elect Donald Trump posted; ‘DO NOT GET INVOLVED!’ But America is involved. Some 900 U.S. troops and an undisclosed number of military contractors are operating in northeastern Syria near Iraq, battling the Islamic State and backing Kurdish forces fighting the Assad regime. Iranian-backed militants using rockets, missiles and drones have attacked U.S. troops 125 times since October 2023…
“Mr. Assad possessed prohibited chemical weapons, which he used against both rebels and — mostly — civilians. Securing that stockpile and keeping it out of the wrong hands is a paramount U.S. concern… The Middle East badly needs a success story: a pluralistic, democratic Arab country committed to upholding human rights. For more than 50 years, Syria under the Assad family regime epitomized so much that is wrong about the region. With engaged diplomacy, the United States can help write a brighter next chapter for this strategically located, and long-suffering, country.”
Editorial Board, Washington Post
Other opinions below.
“The civil war killed more than 300,000 people, although some estimates are double that figure. About 100,000 people are believed missing or forcibly disappeared since 2011. Where are they? A terrible accounting now begins. Half the population – about 12 million people – are displaced…
“Tens of thousands were detained without trial, tortured, abused. Their prisons are now emptying, sending a tide of angry, embittered, physically and psychologically scarred and vengeful people back into a devastated, already dysfunctional society… The challenges ahead are truly daunting.”
Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
“For American policymakers, the scenes in Damascus could reawaken memories of Iraq and Libya — countries where longtime dictators were toppled, only to see their countries consumed by sectarian violence and terrorism. One key difference this time around is that Assad was toppled by a mostly homegrown uprising, rather than a US-led military intervention.”
Joshua Keating, Vox
“Some conservatives in Washington, including Vice President-elect JD Vance, are warning that Assad’s downfall will result in the mass persecution of Syrian Christians by the new leadership. But the evidence on the ground so far and the testimony of top Syrian Christian leaders should temper such concerns…
“Syria’s Christians, who Assad had long claimed were reliant on his protection, remain safe, the top Catholic in Syria, Bishop of Aleppo Hassan Jallouf, told me in a telephone interview. He said the world should give Syrians space to chart their own pluralistic future and judge the new leaders by their actions.”
Josh Rogin, Washington Post
“The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria marks the eclipse of Iran’s self-styled axis of resistance in the Middle East. While the successful advance of the Syrian Sunni insurgents into Damascus seemed sudden, it didn’t happen overnight… This was possible because of Israel’s mauling of Hezbollah in November, prompting the terror group to accept a cease-fire with the Jewish state…
“Iran’s error was that it neglected a basic rule of irregular warfare: Avoid being drawn into the open on the conventional battlefield… Israel’s response laid bare the profound inferiority of the Iranians and their allies in direct confrontation. The result: Hamas and Hezbollah are decimated, Gaza is a smoking ruin, Southern Lebanon is a pile of rubble, and Iran is exposed as helpless before Israeli air power. The region now sees Iran and its misnamed axis of resistance as a paper tiger.”
Jonathan Spyer, Wall Street Journal
“The Kremlin was willing to sacrifice Assad for the sake of bigger diplomatic games… Russia’s relationship with Turkey, the major supporter of the victorious HTS rebels in Syria and the big geopolitical winner of regime change in Damascus, has always been far more important for the Kremlin than anything the Assad regime can offer…
“Turkey is a vital customer of Russian natural gas and an indirect exporter to southern Europe. It’s a major sanctions-busting hub for commerce and passenger transit. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has remained effectively neutral in the Ukraine war… Erdogan is also likely to resume his role as honest broker in future peace talks in 2025. In return for this economic and diplomatic support, the Kremlin has been all too willing to betray its smaller allies to please Ankara.”
Owen Matthews, Spectator World
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