Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russia, the media in the latter country said on Sunday (December 8), within hours of Syrian rebels seizing control of Damascus and ending Assad and his family’s 50 years of iron rule. According to news AP, thousands of Syrians poured into the streets that echoed with celebratory gunfire, waving the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. The swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region.Also read: For US, Israel, fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad is the biggest in a slew of victories “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” US President Joe Biden said, crediting action by the US and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. He called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” and said rebel groups are “saying the right things now” but the US would assess their actions. Russia has requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss Syria, according to Dmitry Polyansky, its deputy ambassador to the UN, in a post on Telegram. Follow more live updates below:
Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russia, the media in the latter country said on Sunday (December 8), within hours of Syrian rebels seizing control of Damascus and ending Assad and his family’s 50 years of iron rule. According to news AP, thousands of Syrians poured into the streets that echoed with celebratory gunfire, waving the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. The swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region.Also read: For US, Israel, fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad is the biggest in a slew of victories “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” US President Joe Biden said, crediting action by the US and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. He called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” and said rebel groups are “saying the right things now” but the US would assess their actions. Russia has requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss Syria, according to Dmitry Polyansky, its deputy ambassador to the UN, in a post on Telegram. Follow more live updates below: