Assad Regime Toppled after 50 Years of Syrian Dictatorship

I was travelling yesterday, so I missed the unprecedented development in Syria. It’s historic downfall of an Arab dictatorship. The Islamist rebels are unlikely to turn Syria into a democratic country based on the rule of law, but release of thousands of political prisoners is in itself huge win for human rights. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham managed to topple Assad, but we must not be fooled. HTS is a terror organisation, labelled as such by the US and UN.

In 2021, HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani was interviewed by PBS. You can read it at Frontline.

Below are some newspaper headlines capturing Assad’s loss of power.

• Chronicles of the Day Syria Ended 50 Years of Assad’s Rule
• Ousted Syrian Leader Assad Flees to Moscow after Fall of Damascus
• Israel Says It Will Destroy Syria’s Heavy Strategic Weaponry
• Assad Offered Asylum in Russia after Rebels Topple Syria Regime
• Tears of Joy and Sadness as Disappeared Syrians Emerge from Assad’s Prisons
• Assad’s Downfall Caps a Remarkably Bad Year for Iran