US President spoke out this Sunday (Dec 8) after rebels took power in Syria
US President Joe Biden (Democratic Party) said this Sunday (Dec 8, 2024) that the United States is monitoring the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. He asked the Syrian leader “Be held accountable”. The US government believes that al-Assad is alive and would be in Russia.
Biden attributed the fall of the Syrian government to the conflict between the extremist group Hamas and Israel. He also spoke of the weakening of Russian military support due to the war with Ukraine.
“For the first time in history, neither Russia, nor Iran and the [grupo] Hezbollah managed to defend the regime in Syria”he declared. “Now, we see new opportunities opening up for the people of Syria and the entire region”.
The United States has committed to supporting Syria’s neighboring countries, such as Israel, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan during what it called “transition period”. Biden confirmed that he will talk to leaders in the region in the coming days.
US forces in the region paid attention to possible movements by the Islamic State group. The president confirmed that the United States army carried out airstrikes in the country this Sunday morning, targeting members of the Islamic State.
INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITIES
Other world leaders reacted to the end of the Syrian al-Assad regime. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, he resigned and left the country after holding talks with “various parties to the armed conflict”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud, right)paid a visit to the border between Israel and Syria. The action was described by the prime minister as “a historic day in the annals of the Middle East”. He also called for the strengthening of Israeli forces in the region.
The President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen (European People’s Party, center-right)expressed the European Union’s commitment to supporting a new Syrian government. She called Bashar al-Assad’s regime “cruel dictatorship”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Labor Party, center left)said in a statement that it is monitoring the situation and “welcomes Assad’s departure”.
In a publication on X (formerly Twitter), the president of France, Emmanuel Macron (Renaissance, center)praised the courage of the Syrian people. He defined al-Assad’s government as “barbaric state”.
In , the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed support for a peaceful and stable solution for the region.
Olaf Scholz (Social Democratic Party, center-left)German Chancellor, called for the restoration of order in Syria. The German leader recalled the importance of protecting social minorities in the country.
“All Syrians must live with dignity and self-determination. This is how we will judge the next Syrian government”these. “No country is anyone’s backyard. Illegitimate third-party interference must end.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed concern about the possibility of radicalization following the fall of al-Assad.
The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro (Human Colombia, left)suggested that the fall of the regime in Syria would open space for a possible alliance with US President-elect Donald Trump (Republican Party). According to him, the change of government could open space for Israel to take over Syrian territory.
“Will Latin American progressivism be able to unite and defeat the OAS and continue to light the beacon of democracy in a world that turns off the lights?”wrote on X. “Where will China move? Will it be able to propose a decarbonized economy that expands based on the planning that emerges from the dialogue of civilizations?”
Trump, in turn, said on Truth Social that Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin (United Russia, center), should act to end conflicts in the region and that China “can help”.
