somebozo
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We have a proverb in Urdu that is even burning a rope does not do away the knot. When one is a dictator so bad that even Russia gives up on their incompetence. Its obvious that the former dictator will not give up his habit of spinning stories around. What he is implicating is that Russia forcibly abducted him out of Syria. The fall of Bashar govt represents a collapse of joint Russian and Iranian project which has been over ten years in the making. Russia choose the govt over the people and therefore it stands as the biggest loser. The new govt of Syria is not expected to welcome Russian influence any further. Putin stands to be discredited now as his statements of entering a war with Ukraine to repel the neo-Nazi stands no ground when he had been backing the Hitler of Arabia blindly. The second biggest loser is off course Iran which had taken a loss of $30 Billion dollars plus credibility and reputation. Syria returning to its majority communities will change the ethno-religious fabric of Middle East and more states will be unwelcoming of Iranian influence. Lets not forget that Syria has a huge impact on its smaller twin - Lebanon and Iran has gone back several decades in his power projection across ME.
Bashar has been shoveling money and assests to Moscow for several years which exposes his intent to flee one day and seek safe haven with tactic approval of Putin.
Having said about the biggest losers lets account the winners to.
First and foremost, the Syrian people who have gotten rid of a rotten and repressive regime. Israel who will now enjoy a better security outlook as Iranian influence recedes out of Syria. America and Europe as Russian influence recedes from Syria. Iraq which itself had been under several decades of repressive Baathist rule and will be relieved to see the remnants of Baathist ideology gone from its borders. Lebanon which does not have to deal with a reckless regime infiltrating the border and using Lebanon as a hub for its narcotics trafficking business. Saudi Arabia which will not be able to project power through its settled tribes in Syria and the mutual understanding with Sunni majority.
The middle east as a whole stands to win from a Syria without Bashar and finally we can see the end to captagon crisis which has become so prevalent across ME due to Syrian civil war.
The world has started to echo already, Bashar today, Putin tomorrow.
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Paulin Kola
BBC News
Getty Images
Portraits of Assad have been torn down across Syria
Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad says he never intended to flee to Russia - in what is purported to be his first statement since the fall of Damascus eight days ago.
Assad's reported statement was put on the Telegram channel belonging to the Syrian presidency on Monday, although it is not clear who currently controls it - or whether he wrote it.
In it he says that, as the Syrian capital fell to rebels, he went to a Russian military base in Latakia province "to oversee combat operations" only to see that Syrian troops had abandoned positions.
Hmeimim airbase had also come under "intensified attack by drone strikes" and the Russians had decided to airlift him to Moscow, he says.
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In the statement - published both in Arabic and English - the former Syrian leader reportedly describes what happened on 8 December - and how he was apparently besieged at the Russian base.
"With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December," the statement reads.
"This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions."
"When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose," it says.
1:26
Aleppo: Dancing crowds gather to celebrate end of Assad regime
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Assad was nowhere to be seen as Syrian cities and provinces fell to rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) within a period of 12 days.
However, speculation mounted that he had fled the country as even his prime minister was not able to contact him during the rebel sweep into Damascus.
On 9 December, Russian media announced that he had been given asylum there - even though there has not been any official confirmation.
The Syrian rebel groups are continuing to form a transitional government.
HTS, Syria's most powerful rebel group, was set up under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011 and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the following year.
Al-Nusra broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and later took the name HTS when it merged with other factions. However, the UN, US, UK and a number of other countries continue to designate it as a terrorist group.
Its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously used the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has pledged tolerance for different religious groups and communities. But his group's jihadist past has left some doubting whether it will live up to such promises.
UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who met al-Sharaa on Sunday, said Syria must have a "credible and inclusive" transition.
Qatar has also sent a delegation to Syria to meet transitional government officials ahead of the re-opening of its embassy on Tuesday, 13 years after it was closed.
Western countries have not gone as far as re-opening their embassies, but in the past two days the US and the UK said they had been in touch with HTS. The British government made clear the Islamist-led rebel group remains a proscribed terrorist organisation, despite it beginning "diplomatic contact" with the group.
Speaking on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Moscow and Tehran "should not have a place in Syria's future".
Bashar has been shoveling money and assests to Moscow for several years which exposes his intent to flee one day and seek safe haven with tactic approval of Putin.
Having said about the biggest losers lets account the winners to.
First and foremost, the Syrian people who have gotten rid of a rotten and repressive regime. Israel who will now enjoy a better security outlook as Iranian influence recedes out of Syria. America and Europe as Russian influence recedes from Syria. Iraq which itself had been under several decades of repressive Baathist rule and will be relieved to see the remnants of Baathist ideology gone from its borders. Lebanon which does not have to deal with a reckless regime infiltrating the border and using Lebanon as a hub for its narcotics trafficking business. Saudi Arabia which will not be able to project power through its settled tribes in Syria and the mutual understanding with Sunni majority.
The middle east as a whole stands to win from a Syria without Bashar and finally we can see the end to captagon crisis which has become so prevalent across ME due to Syrian civil war.
The world has started to echo already, Bashar today, Putin tomorrow.
Assad says he didn't intend to leave Syria, statement claims
2 days agoShare
Save
Paulin Kola
BBC News
Portraits of Assad have been torn down across Syria
Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad says he never intended to flee to Russia - in what is purported to be his first statement since the fall of Damascus eight days ago.
Assad's reported statement was put on the Telegram channel belonging to the Syrian presidency on Monday, although it is not clear who currently controls it - or whether he wrote it.
In it he says that, as the Syrian capital fell to rebels, he went to a Russian military base in Latakia province "to oversee combat operations" only to see that Syrian troops had abandoned positions.
Hmeimim airbase had also come under "intensified attack by drone strikes" and the Russians had decided to airlift him to Moscow, he says.
Advertisement
In the statement - published both in Arabic and English - the former Syrian leader reportedly describes what happened on 8 December - and how he was apparently besieged at the Russian base.
"With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December," the statement reads.
"This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions."
- 'I felt like a breathing corpse': Stories from people freed from Syria torture prison
- Bowen: Syrians search for dead loved ones - and closure
"When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose," it says.
1:26
Aleppo: Dancing crowds gather to celebrate end of Assad regime
Advertisement
Assad was nowhere to be seen as Syrian cities and provinces fell to rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) within a period of 12 days.
However, speculation mounted that he had fled the country as even his prime minister was not able to contact him during the rebel sweep into Damascus.
On 9 December, Russian media announced that he had been given asylum there - even though there has not been any official confirmation.
The Syrian rebel groups are continuing to form a transitional government.
HTS, Syria's most powerful rebel group, was set up under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011 and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the following year.
Al-Nusra broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and later took the name HTS when it merged with other factions. However, the UN, US, UK and a number of other countries continue to designate it as a terrorist group.
Its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously used the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has pledged tolerance for different religious groups and communities. But his group's jihadist past has left some doubting whether it will live up to such promises.
UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who met al-Sharaa on Sunday, said Syria must have a "credible and inclusive" transition.
Qatar has also sent a delegation to Syria to meet transitional government officials ahead of the re-opening of its embassy on Tuesday, 13 years after it was closed.
Western countries have not gone as far as re-opening their embassies, but in the past two days the US and the UK said they had been in touch with HTS. The British government made clear the Islamist-led rebel group remains a proscribed terrorist organisation, despite it beginning "diplomatic contact" with the group.
Speaking on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Moscow and Tehran "should not have a place in Syria's future".
