President Biden said during a news conference Sunday afternoon that the United States will support Syria’s neighboring nations and help bolster stability in the region after dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the country amid war. civil in progress.
“At last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized, tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It is a moment of historic opportunity for the people who have suffered of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It is also a time of risk and uncertainty,” Biden said Sunday during a press conference from the White House.
Biden detailed that after the departure of Assad against the rebel forces, the US will support Syria’s neighboring countries – such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel – “in case any threat arises from Syria during this transition period “. Biden said this effort will include meetings of senior administration officials with world leaders and that the president will also speak directly with leaders of neighboring nations.
“Secondly, we will help stability, we will ensure stability in eastern Syria. We will protect any personnel, our personnel, against any threat, and we will continue to maintain our mission against ISIS, including the security of the detention centers where the fighters of ISIS are being held as prisoners.” Biden continued on the US plan of action following the collapse of the Assad regime. “…. Third, we will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the United Nations-led process to establish a transition from the Assad regime to an independent and sovereign Syria.
ASSAD ARRIVES IN MOSCOW, RUSSIA GRANTS HIM ASYLUM
President Biden speaks about the situation in Syria in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on December 8, 2024. (Chris Kleponis/AFP via Getty Images)
Bashar al-Assad fled Syria after rebels attacked the capital, Damascus, on Saturday. Assad, whose government repeatedly used chemical weapons against its residents, fled with his wife and children.
Biden said the United States had no confirmation on Assad’s whereabouts, noting that “he is said to be in Moscow.”
Syria has been 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 possible to support [Syrians]including through humanitarian aid, to help restore Syria 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 overthrew Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses. We have taken note of the statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent times. “And now they are saying the right things, but as they take on more responsibility, we will evaluate not only their words, but also their actions,” Biden continued on Sunday.
Trump and Assad (Getty Images)
The president noted that the United States will also continue its efforts to protect 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 residing there, as well as Austin Tice, who was taken captive more than 12 years ago. We remain committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said.
Before reports of Assad’s flight, President-elect Trump warned that the United States should not get involved in the civil war.
TRUMP RESPONDS AFTER REBELS TOOK SYRIA AND OVERTOWN LONG-LASTING DICTATOR: ‘ASSAD IS GONE’
“Syria is a disaster, but it is not our friend, AND THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT BE PLAYED. DON’T GET INVOLVED!” he wrote.
Trump added on Truth Social early Sunday: “Assad is gone. He has 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 did it.” being 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 continue forever.
President-elect Trump warned that the United States should not get involved in the Syrian civil war. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its success in fighting,” his post continued. “Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to reach an agreement and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”
SYRIAN INSURGENTS REACH THE GATES OF DAMASCUS, THREATENING THE DECADES-LONG ASSAD REGIME
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 result” of Israel’s attacks on Iran and Hezbollah, although he noted that the overall situation is “fraught with significant dangers.” . Israel is in the midst of a war lasting more than a year after Hamas launched attacks against the nation on October 7, 2023.
TRUMP URGES US TO STAY OUT OF THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, BLAMING OBAMA FOR FAILURE AS ISLAMISTS CLOSER TO CAPITAL
“This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but is also fraught with significant dangers. This collapse is the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, the Assad government’s main supporters, unleashed 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 on November 26 in Jerusalem. (Israel Government Press Office via AP)
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“We send a hand of peace to all those 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 will follow developments closely. “Yes “We can establish neighborly relations and peace with the new forces emerging in Syria, that is our wish, but if we do not, we will do whatever is necessary 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.
