President Biden said this on Sunday The afternoon news conference said the US will support Syria’s neighbors and help strengthen stability in the region after dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the country amid an ongoing civil war.
“Finally the Assad regime has fallen. This regime has brutalized, tortured and murdered literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. A fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It is a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering. of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It is also a moment of risk and uncertainty,” Biden said during a press conference from the White House on Sunday.
Biden explained that the US will support Assad’s departure despite the rebel forces Syria’s neighboring countries – such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel – “should any threat arise from Syria during this transition period.” Biden said this effort will include senior government officials meeting with world leaders, and the president will also speak directly with leaders in neighboring countries.
“Second, we will help and ensure stability in eastern Syria. Protecting all personnel, our personnel, from all threats, and that will continue. Our mission against ISIS will continue, including securing detention facilities where ISIS fighters are held as prisoners, Biden continued the U.S. plan of action following the collapse of the Assad regime. “…. Third, we will work with all Syrian groups, including within the United Nations-led process to achieve a transition from the Assad regime to an independent sovereign ‘Syria’.
ASSAD ARRIVES IN MOSCOW, GIVES ASYLUM BY RUSSIA
President Biden speaks about the situation in Syria on December 8, 2024 in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. (Chris Kleponis/AFP via Getty Images)
Bashar al-Assad fled Syria after rebels stormed the capital Damascus on Saturday. Assad, whose government repeatedly used chemical weapons on its residents, reportedly fled with his wife and children.
Biden said the US had no confirmation on Assad’s whereabouts, noting that “there are rumors he is in Moscow.”
Syria is in the midst of a nearly 14-year civil war as Islamist rebels sought to overthrow Assad and his family’s dynasty, which had ruled the country for the past 50 years.
“The United States will do everything we can to support Syrians, including through humanitarian assistance, to help Syria recover after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family,” Biden said.
“And finally, we will remain vigilant. Make no mistake: Some of the rebel groups that brought down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses. We have taken note of the statements made by the leaders of these rebel groups in the recent period. And they are saying the right things now, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will judge not just their words, but their actions,” Biden continued on Sunday.
Trump and Assad (Getty Images)
The president noted that the US will also continue its efforts to secure American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria for more than a decade.
“We are aware that there are Americans in Syria, including those living there, as well as Austin Tice, who was captured more than 12 years ago. We remain committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said.
Ahead of reports of Assad’s flight, President-elect Trump warned that the US should not become involved in the civil war.
TRUMP RESPONDS AFTER REBELS OVERTAKE SYRIA AND REMOVE LONG DICTATOR: ‘ASSAD IS GONE’
“Syria is a mess, but it is not our friend, and the UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT ADVISE IT!” he wrote.
Trump added to Truth Social early Sunday morning: “Assad is gone. He fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was no longer interested in protecting him. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where nearly 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started and could go on forever.
President-elect Trump warned that the US should not become involved in the Syrian civil war. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“Russia and Iran are currently in a weakened state, one because of Ukraine and a poor economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” his post continued. “Similarly, Zelensky and Ukraine are eager to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There must be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations must begin.”
SYRIAN INSURRECTS REACH GATES OF DAMASCUS AND THREATEN LONG ASSAD REGIME SERVICES
President Bashar al-Assad on May 3, 2023 in Damascus, Syria. (Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday praised the fall of the Assad regime, saying it was a “direct consequence” of Israel’s attacks on Iran and Hezbollah, while noting that the situation in general is “fraught with significant dangers.” Israel is in the midst of a more than year-long war after Hamas launched attacks on the country on October 7, 2023.
“This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunities, but is also fraught with significant dangers. This collapse is the direct result of our strong action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad’s forces. It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its oppression,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement in Jerusalem on November 26. (Israeli Government Press Agency via AP)
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“We send a hand of peace to everyone beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel. We are going to monitor events very closely. If we can establish neighborly and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that is our wish. But if we don’t, we will do whatever it takes to defend the State of Israel and Israel’s border,” Netanyahu added.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
