Analysis from international relations experts and reports from international media

Biden Announces Fall of Assad Regime After Rebel Uprising, Urges Justice

Dec 8, 2024, 07:02 PM

President Joe Biden announced that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fallen after rebel forces forced Assad to step down and leave the country. In remarks from the White House, Biden called the fall of Assad's "brutal" regime a "fundamental act of justice," noting that the regime had "brutalized, tortured, and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians" over decades of authoritarian rule. He stated that "Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah could not defend the regime," and that this moment represents a "historic opportunity" for the Syrian people to build a better future. Biden cautioned that while this is a moment of opportunity, it is also a "moment of risk and uncertainty," and emphasized that "it would be a waste of this historic opportunity if one tyrant were toppled, only to see a new one rise up in its place." He pledged that the United States will support Syria's neighbors during the transitional period and asserted that Assad should be brought to justice.