Nadene Goldfoot
Americans may be led to think that Assad was a worse President of Syria than Julani is now. Those prioritizing stability and order: Some may believe that Julani, despite his past as a radical Islamist, could potentially bring a greater degree of order and stability to Syria compared to the prolonged civil war and fragmentation under Assad. It's worth noting that this view is not without its concerns regarding HTS's past and potential future actions.
- Julani's past is controversial: He previously led the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Front, before distancing himself from the group. HTS is still considered a "terrorist" group by the United States and the United Nations, and has been accused by human rights groups of committing abuses.
- His intentions are still being evaluated: While he has made conciliatory statements and promised to protect minorities, critics caution against taking his words at face value and emphasize the importance of observing his actions.
What did happen to Assad?
Bashar al-Assad (born 11 September 1965) age 60, is a Syrian former politician, military officer and dictator who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until his government was overthrown in 2024 after 13 years of the Syrian civil war. As president, Assad was commander-in-chief of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and secretary-general of the Central Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. He is the son of Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1970 to 2000.
Numerous politicians, dissidents, authors and journalists have nicknamed Assad as the "butcher" of Syria for his war-crimes, anti-Sunni sectarian mass-killings, chemical weapons attacks and ethnic cleansing campaigns. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has stated that at least 10 European citizens were tortured by the Assad government while detained during the Syrian civil war, potentially leaving Assad open to prosecution by individual European countries for war crimes
In December 2024, the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom urged for de-escalation in Syria as violence flared up once again. Rebel factions, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), had taken control of Aleppo, prompting a retaliatory airstrike campaign by President Assad and his Russian allies. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist militant group primarily active in northwestern Syria, particularly in Idlib province. It evolved from Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria, and has gone through several name changes and mergers with other factions. While HTS has publicly distanced itself from al-Qaeda and presented itself as a more moderate force focused on governance, it remains designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
Julani, the Syrian rebel leader, is also known by his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa. He has taken the Presidency of Syria.
The strikes, which targeted population centers and several hospitals in the rebel-held city of Idlib, resulted in at least 25 deaths, according to the White Helmets rescue group.
NATO countries issued a joint statement calling for the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure to prevent further displacement and ensure humanitarian access. The rebel offensive, which had begun on 27 November 2024, continued its advance into Hama Governorate following their capture of Aleppo.
On 4 December 2024, fierce clashes erupted in Hama Governorate as the Syrian army engaged Islamist-led insurgents in a bid to halt their advance on the key city of Hama. However, despite reinforcements, the rebels captured the city on 5 December. The fighting led to widespread displacement, with nearly 50,000 people fleeing the area and over 600 casualties reported, including 104 civilians.
On 6 December, rebels began encircling the capital Damascus. On 7 December, rebels captured the strategic city of Homs, cutting off Damascus from regime strongholds on the coast.
A few hours later in the early morning of 8 December, Assad fled Damascus just before its fall to the rebels, ending 54 years of the Assad family's rule. The Russian government said that Assad had "stepped down" as president following a personal decision and had left Syria.
Following efforts by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to facilitate his departure, Assad, who left under great secrecy, was reported to have gone first to the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base near Latakia before proceeding to Moscow. Interfax, quoting an unnamed source at the Kremlin, said that Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and that the Russian government had granted them asylum "on humanitarian grounds".
On 16 December, the Telegram account of the Syrian presidency published a statement attributed to Assad saying he had no intention of resigning or going into exile.
The latest, on 7 April 2025, Russian Ambassador to Iraq Elbrus Kutrashev told the Islamic Republic News Agency that Assad's settlement in Moscow was conditional on his total withdrawal from media and political activities. He added that the asylum granted to Assad and his family had been personally ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin and would remain unchanged.
In an interview with The New York Times in April 2025, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa (Julani) said that Syrian officials requested Russia to extradite Assad as a condition for allowing their military presence in Syria, but Russia refused.
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