WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of Syria’s government under Bashar al-Assad was an “act of basic justice” after decades of repression, but called it “risky and costly” for the Middle East. “It was a moment of certainty.”
Biden spoke at the White House hours after rebels completed their takeover of the country after more than a decade of violent civil war and decades of leadership by President Assad and his family. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were seeking to understand new threats and opportunities across the Middle East.
Biden credited the actions of the United States and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers, Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that Assad’s grip on power could no longer be defended.
“Our approach has changed the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said after meeting with his national security team at the White House.
President Trump said Sunday that Assad fled the country his family has ruled for decades because his close aide, Russian President Vladimir Putin, was “no longer interested in protecting him.” .
These comments on President Trump’s social media platforms come as Trump denounced the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Syria to support the rebels in another post, saying, “This is not our fight.” It came out the day after the announcement. Biden’s national security adviser said his administration had no intention of intervening.
The United States has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the rebel-held northeast to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. Biden said military-directed strikes would remain, adding that the U.S. military conducted “dozens” of what he called “precision airstrikes” against IS camps and operations in Syria on Sunday. .
The Syrian rebel group that overthrew the Assad regime is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has since said it has severed ties with al-Qaeda, although the Biden administration has designated it a terrorist organization and claims it has ties to al-Qaeda.
“We remain vigilant,” Biden said. “Make no mistake, some of the rebels who toppled Assad have their own terrible criminal record of terrorism and human rights abuses,” he said, adding that the groups “are now saying the right things.” .
“But as they take on more responsibility, we will evaluate not just their words, but their actions,” Biden said.
The fall of Assad’s regime has intensified an already tense situation in much of the region on many fronts, including Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
President Trump, who will take office on January 20, 2025, has linked the unrest in Syria to Russia’s war in Ukraine, noting that Moscow’s Assad allies and Iran, a major sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, are “in a state of conflict.” . It is now in a weakened state. ”
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, a veteran of the U.S.-led Iraq War, expressed skepticism about the insurgents in a post on his social media Sunday.
“Many of the ‘rebels’ are literally offshoots of ISIS. You can expect them to host. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for ISIS. Ta.
Trump has suggested that ousting Assad could advance prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
A day after meeting with the leaders of France and Ukraine in Paris, President Trump wrote that Putin’s government had “completely lost interest in Syria because of Ukraine,” and Republicans called for an immediate ceasefire.
Daniel B. Shapiro, the assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the U.S. military presence in eastern Syria will continue, but only to “ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS and not support other aspects of the conflict.” It has nothing to do with it.”
“We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, especially those from Syria’s ethnic minority communities, to respect international military norms, and to strive for resolutions that include a political solution,” Shapiro said. said.
“Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record, including President Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate airstrikes, the involvement of Iranian-backed militias, and the brutality of ISIS,” it added.
But Shapiro was careful not to directly say that Assad was deposed by the rebels.
“If it is confirmed, no one should shed tears for the Assad regime,” he said.
Rebels have released political detainees from government prisons as they march towards the Syrian capital Damascus. The family of missing American journalist Austin Tice has renewed their appeal to find him.
“For those of you in Syria who are hearing this, please remember we are waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in a comment posted by hostage advocacy groups on social media. . “We know that when he comes out, he will be quite dazed and will need a lot of care and direction. Please show him to his family!”
Tais went missing on the outskirts of Damascus in 2012 during the escalation of more than a decade of civil war.
We remain committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said at the White House. “We believe he is alive and we believe he can be recovered, but we have no direct evidence of that yet. And Assad must be held accountable.”
The president added: “We need to identify where he is.”
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