Syria's ousted leader Bashar Assad says he wanted to keep fighting but Russians evacuated him

DAMASCUS -- Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a statement Monday he wanted to stay in the country after rebels captured the capital Damascus a week ago, but the Russian military evacuated him from their base in western Syria after it came under attack.

The comments are the first by Assad since he was overthrown by jihadi-led insurgent groups just over a week ago.

Assad said in a statement on his Facebook page that he left Damascus on the morning of Dec. 8, hours after insurgents stormed the capital. He said he left in coordination with Russian allies to their Hmeimim air base in the coastal province of Latakia, where he had planned to keep fighting.

Assad said that after the Russian base came under attack by drones, the Russians decided to move him on the night of Dec. 8 to Russia.

“I did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier,” Assad said.

“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge nor was such proposal made by any individual or party,” Assad said in the English text of his statement. “The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.”

Obeida Arnaout, spokesman for the political department of the new transitional government formed by the former insurgents, said in an interview Monday that with the Syrian factions entering Damascus, “the Assad regime is finished with no return" and that Russia “should reconsider its presence on Syrian territory as well as its interests.”

Arnaout said Syria has entered a new phase that will be open to the world, and its new government is looking to build good relations with its neighbors and the world. He called on the U.S. and other countries to reconsider the designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — the main rebel group and a former affiliate of al-Qaida — as a terrorist organization, calling it “not right and not accurate” designation.

Syria is home to multiple ethnic and religious communities, often pitted against each other by Assad’s state and years of war. Many of them fear the possibility that Sunni Islamist extremists will take over.

The new Syrian leadership had already been in contact with the U.S. to return American citizen Travis Timmerman, who was among the prisoners released from government detention centers when Assad fell, Arnaout said.

“There are political contacts at the highest levels in a way that benefits the Syrian people’s and that strengthen the current administration,” he said.

Asked whether the new government's security forces would cooperate with the U.S. to combat militants with the Islamic State group, Arnaout said Syrian factions have ousted and rejected IS and the group no longer has a significant presence in the country.

U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria have been the main U.S. ally in fighting IS, and oversee detention centers housing IS militants. However, the future of the Kurds and the semi-autonomous region they control remains unclear in the country's new post-Assad order. Clashes over territory have taken place in some areas between Kurdish forces and the armed groups that overthrew Assad.

Arnaout said the Kurds are part of the Syrian people and their rights will be protected. However, he said the new government will not accept that any part of Syria be outside of Damascus' control.

“Kurds are one of the components of the Syrian people and we are very keen that this group has its rights protected,” he said. “The social fabric in Syria is a source of strength and not weakness. But we affirm that we don’t any part of Syria to be separated, and we will not allow that any part of Syria be out of the Damascus government control.”

Also Monday, a U.K.-based war monitor said Israeli airstrikes early Monday hit missile warehouses on the Syrian coast and called it the “most violent strikes” in that part of Syria since 2012.

Israel has been pounding what it says are military sites in Syria after the dramatic collapse of Assad’s rule, wiping out air defenses and most of the arsenal of the former Syrian army. Israeli troops have also seized a border buffer zone, sparking condemnation, with critics accusing Israel of violating the 1974 ceasefire and possibly exploiting the chaos in Syria for a land grab.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrias-ousted-leader-bashar-assad-wanted-fighting-russians-116829003

Fight with what and who when all his soldiers surrendered to the rebels

He should thank God those rebels didn't capture him alive

Ashraf Ghani also fled from Afghanistan when Kabul fell to the Taliban

Story for the gods

Honorable off your mic

Cowards dem.

Zelensky na man you be...

Nor be this Putin Asslicker.

Terrorist vs Terrorist fight no concern me

Islamic countries are known for terrorism just like our terrorism North

he shud thank God...dem terror boyz for parade hin head round damascus..dem for rape hin wife join

You messed up
From medical student with UK experience and and UK wife to dictator. Such a shame

He should be grateful he is alive

Why there's no peace in almost all Islamic countries.

Yes bro we know, na so one self talk after take off from 5 plots🤭🤭🤭🤭 , na Warrior dey Dodge plenty bullet 🤭🤭🤭🤭

Lol

Did the Russian government had him all tied up and bundled him into the aircraft that took him out of Syria? 😂😂😂

Assad was corrupt to the core. The corruption was so bad that his soldiers including conscript where not been paid. How do you expect soldiers with no welfare to be motivated? He solely depended on Russia and Iran to defend syria, isn't that a shame? Not to say the jihadist Resistance are any better, but as we can see corruption is always the death of any nation. Hope Nigeria is learning

But he tried sa.

Those of you that are not young in 2011 during the Arab Spring, would realise that he was the only person that survived
Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen all lost their leaders

Who give this one Mic to talk bayi?
Abeg, parkwell joor.
People say dem no want you again, you still dey Balablu, no worry hand go soon touch you.

Okiton:



Terrorist vs Terrorist fight no concern me

Islamic countries are known for terrorism just like our terrorism North

It's for this reason trump will totally withdraw America because with Middle East issue, one terror group wants to outdo the other. Every sect thinks they have the better way of running Islam.

I hope leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali & Niger are listening

I have said it on different forum that China and Russia that some African leaders are running to also have their imperialist tendencies. African leaders should be smart.

Russia has also exposed it's weakness to the world that it's not strong on ground warfare.
The ease at wish Ukraine took over Russian city of Kursk with little resistance contributed to the Syrian rebels strategy against Assad

You should have stayed back and face the biggest humiliation and mutilation of your life.

The familiar song of sour losers
I am happy for ppl of Syria Al-Join is the people's leader not this brutal dictator . Al-Jolani is the ppl leader peace is back to Syria

Eeeeeeeeediot !!! You for turn to barbecue if you no run.

Normal statement of a terrorist.
He should have stayed and let the rebel make barbeque of his body.......
Run run president.
Coward.

...story that touchés....

Nobody is talking about the terrorism being carried out by Israel in Syria.

Why exactly did the Zionist destroy Syrian weapons without provocations?

davodyguy:
But he tried sa.

Those of you that are not young in 2011 during the Arab Spring, would realise that he was the only person that survived
Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen all lost their leaders

Moroccan king, Jordanian king, Saudi king, Qatar emir, Kuwait emir and UAE emir survived also

Better to be alive to continue the fight.

Good thing you left , those American sponsored barbarians would have killed you like they killed your cousin

You did not fight in Aleppo, Homs,Hama and you want to fight in Damascus?

Only gullible Islamics will believe you sha