Biden says fall of Assad regime is 'moment of historic opportunity' for Syrian people

President Biden said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that the United States will support Syria's neighbors and help strengthen regional stability after dictator Bashar al-Assad fled China, where the country's civil war continues. .

“Finally, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime has brutally tortured and murdered literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is an act of basic justice. It has endured for so long. “This is a historic moment of opportunity for our people. This is also a time of risk and uncertainty as we work to build a better future for the proud nation of Syria,” Biden said at a White House press conference on Sunday. said.

Biden said that after President Bashar al-Assad stepped down in the face of the rebels, the U.S. would seek support from Syria's neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, “if any threat arises from Syria during this transition period.” He stated in detail that he would provide support. Biden said the effort will include senior government officials meeting with world leaders and the president meeting directly with leaders of neighboring countries.

“Secondly, we will support stability in eastern Syria and ensure stability. We will continue to protect all personnel, our personnel, from all threats. Our mission against ISIS will be maintained, including the security of detained detention facilities. Biden continued the U.S. plan for action after the fall of Assad. “…Third, we will work with all groups in Syria, including in the UN-led process to establish a transition from the Assad regime to an independent sovereign state.”

Assad arrives in Moscow and is granted asylum by Russia

Bashar al-Assad fled Syria after rebels stormed the capital Damascus on Saturday. President Assad, whose government repeatedly used chemical weapons on the population, reportedly fled with his wife and children.

Biden said the U.S. does not have confirmation of Assad's whereabouts, noting that “we have information that he is in Moscow.”

Syria has been in the midst of a nearly 14-year civil war as Islamic rebels seek to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad and his family's dynasty, which has ruled the country for the past 50 years.

“The United States will do everything we can to assist (Syrians), including humanitarian relief, to help Syria rebuild after more than a decade of war and generations of atrocities by the Assad family,” Biden said. “I will.”

“And finally, we remain vigilant. Don't get me wrong, some of the rebels who toppled Assad have their own terrible criminal record of terrorism and human rights abuses. We have recently “We are looking at the statements of rebel leaders. “And while they are saying the right things now, as they take on more responsibility, we are not only looking at their words but also their actions. We’re going to evaluate it,” Biden continued on Sunday.

trump and assad (Getty Images)

The president also said the United States would continue its efforts to locate Austin Tice, an American journalist who has been missing in Syria for more than a decade.

“We are mindful that there are Americans in Syria, not just Austin Tice, who was taken prisoner more than 12 years ago, but also those living in Syria,” Biden said. “We continue to honor his family. We will do our best to return the property to its original source.”

Ahead of reports of Assad's flight, President-elect Trump warned that the United States should not get involved in a civil war.

After rebels take control of Syria and oust longtime dictator, President Trump reacts: 'Assad is gone'

“Syria is in turmoil, but it is not our friend. The US has nothing to do with this. This is not our fight. Let it go. Don't get dragged into it!” he wrote.

“Assad is gone. He fled the country. His protectors, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, were no longer interested in protecting him,” Trump said on Truth Social early Sunday morning. “There was no reason for Russia to do that,'' he added. They lost all interest in Syria in the first place because of Ukraine, where nearly 600,000 Russian soldiers were injured or killed in a war that should never have started and could last forever. ”

President-elect Trump has warned that the United States should not get involved in Syria's civil war. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“Russia and Iran are currently in a weakened state, one because of Ukraine and the economic recession, and the other because of Israel and its fighting successes,” his post continued. “Similarly, Zelensky and Ukraine also want to make an agreement and stop the madness. They have lost 400,000 soldiers and many more civilians, tremendously. Immediate ceasefire and start negotiations. You should.”

Syrian rebels reach Damascus gates, threatening decades-old Assad regime

President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, May 3, 2023. (Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Axonline ATP Images/Getty Images)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday stressed that the fall of the Assad regime was a “direct result” of Israel's attacks on Iran and Hezbollah, calling the overall situation “containing grave dangers.” Israel has been in the midst of a more than year-long war since Hamas launched an attack on the country on October 7, 2023.

President Trump urges people to stay out of Syria's civil war, blames Obama for failure as Islamists close in on capital

“Today is a historic day for the Middle East. The fall of the tyrannical Assad regime in Damascus offers great opportunities, but also grave dangers. “As a direct result of the action,” Netanyahu said on Sunday, “it triggered a chain reaction of all people who want to be free from this tyranny and its oppression.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a televised statement in Jerusalem on November 26th. (Israel Government Press Office, via AP)

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“We send a hand of peace to all those beyond Syria's borders: Druze, Kurds, Christians and Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel. We will follow the situation closely. “It is our hope that we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the emerging forces that have emerged in Syria, but if not, we will do everything possible to protect the State of Israel and Israel's borders,” Netanyahu added. Ta.

Fox News Digital's Michael Lee and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.