The world will have to wait to see what emerges in Syria, where Russian troops have hastily left and America has a small contingent of troops to work against ISIS…
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime crumbled on Sunday morning after the armed Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham pushed into Damascus, the capital. Syria’s prime minister promised to facilitate a transition of power. As people celebrated on the streets, a rebel leader on Syria’s public broadcaster said people were “fed up with 50 years of Assad rule,” and the Foreign Ministry issued a statement heralding a “new page” for the country. Assad’s whereabouts were unknown. The Foreign Ministry of Russia, a major backer of Syria’s government during the civil war, said Assad stepped down as president and left the country after negotiations with rebels, a claim that could not be independently verified. Western leaders hailed Assad’s fall with caution and called for regional stability….
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The White House said President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation and communicating with regional partners. He was scheduled to meet with his national security team on Sunday to receive an update on Syria…
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Vice President-elect JD Vance reiterated the view of President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday morning, saying on social media, “this is not our fight and we should stay out of it.”
He also noted that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has roots in Islamic extremism, though its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has rejectedcalls to join the Islamic State.
“Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS,” Vance posted on X. “One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell.”
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Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in an emailed statement Sunday that U.S. officials “continue to monitor the situation in Syria” but that the U.S. troop deployment in the region — part of an operation to keep the Islamic State from regaining a foothold — “remains unchanged.”
“As always, we maintain the inherent right of self-defense and will take necessary steps to protect our service members deployed to the region,” he said…
Note…
One Building, One
Bomb: How Assad
Gassed His Own People
Update….
Assad has landed in Moscow and will get political asylum….
On Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad had left Syria, but declined to confirm he was in Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed Assad decided to resign from the presidency and gave instructions to the Syrian Prime Minister for a peaceful transition of power.
Kremlin officials told Russian media that Russia is in touch with the rebels who have guaranteed the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic facilities in Syria…..
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