The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has ushered in a transformative chapter for Syria and the region. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized Damascus in a rapid offensive, forcing Assad to seek asylum in Russia. The UK and other global powers are deliberating their next steps, including the potential delisting of HTS as a terrorist organization, contingent on its actions and commitments to protect minorities and comply with international monitoring. Meanwhile, Syria’s new rulers are focused on establishing a transitional government, ensuring the continuation of services, and granting amnesty to conscripted soldiers. Internationally, the conflict has heightened tensions, with Israeli strikes on Hezbollah and U.S. airstrikes on ISIS underscoring the broader implications of Syria’s power shift. Refugee policies are also in flux, with Germany and Austria pausing asylum for Syrians amidst the uncertain situation. The world watches closely as Syria embarks on a new, fragile era.
Syria’s new rulers declare amnesty for conscripted soldiers
CNN reports that the forces that have taken control of Damascus after the collapse of the Assad regime have issued a general amnesty for conscripted soldiers in the Syrian military.
In a statement on Monday, the Military Operations Command announced “a general amnesty for all conscripted soldiers serving under mandatory service. They are granted safety for their lives, and any harm against them is strictly prohibited.”
The amnesty does not apply to officers and soldiers who volunteered to serve.
What to know after Syrian rebels force Bashar al-Assad from power in a rekindled civil war
CBC News published a long report on the rebel forces that have ousted assad.
Syria’s civil war entered a decisive phase on Sunday as opposition forces took control of Damascus, leading to the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Assad and his family fled to Moscow, according to Russian state media. The fall of the regime, which had ruled Syria for over 50 years under Assad and his father, prompted celebrations in Damascus, with residents chanting, praying, and firing into the air. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali remained in Damascus, announcing the government’s willingness to transition power to the opposition through a transitional government.
The conflict, which began in 2011 as a pro-democracy uprising, escalated into a brutal war that claimed over 500,000 lives and displaced around 12 million people. After a decade of violence, Assad’s forces, backed by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, had regained control of much of Syria. However, in late November, the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a surprise offensive from the northwest. HTS, which has distanced itself from its al-Qaeda roots, exploited the weakened positions of Assad’s allies, who were preoccupied with other conflicts. The group’s leader, Abu Mohammad al-Golani, emphasized that their goal remained the overthrow of Assad, describing his regime as inherently weak and corrupt.
Analysts highlighted several factors behind the rapid fall of the regime. Assad’s military forces had become deeply demoralized, and his focus on securing international recognition rather than consolidating domestic control left his government vulnerable. Corruption, continued sanctions, and brutal governance created grim conditions for Syrians, eroding loyalty even in reconciled areas. Christopher Phillips, a Middle East expert at Chatham House, noted that HTS’s well-honed military and political strategies combined with Assad’s complacency to seal the regime’s fate.
Internationally, the U.S. responded with airstrikes targeting ISIS operatives and infrastructure, concerned about a possible resurgence of the extremist group in the power vacuum left by Assad’s collapse. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned of ISIS’s potential to exploit the situation but reported initial success in efforts to curtail their activities. Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes on Syrian and Iranian-linked sites, aiming to prevent spillover into its territory, though it expressed no intention of engaging in Syria’s broader conflict.
The fall of Assad marks a pivotal moment in Syria’s history, raising questions about the nation’s future governance and stability. President Joe Biden called the development an “historic moment of opportunity,” pledging U.S. support for Syria and its neighbors in navigating the aftermath of this dramatic shift.
With Assad gone, new era starts in Syria as the world watches
In a report on the storming events that roared Syria in the past few days, Reuters reported that Damascus has entered a new era after Syrian rebels seized control of the capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, marking the end of 13 years of civil war and over 50 years of Assad family rule. Streets are slowly returning to life, though most shops remain closed. Rebels, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Golani), have initiated discussions with former government officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali, about forming a transitional government. Mohamed Al-Bashir, a former administrator in rebel-held territory, is expected to lead this transitional authority.
The war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions, has left Syria devastated, with bombed cities, an economy crippled by sanctions, and millions of refugees across neighboring countries. Assad’s fall signals a major geopolitical shift, weakening Iran and Russia’s regional influence while strengthening Turkey, a longtime supporter of Assad’s opponents.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the leading force behind the rebel offensive, has promised to rebuild Syria. HTS leader Golani, addressing a crowd at the historic Umayyad Mosque, declared this victory as the start of a “new history.” The rebels have granted amnesty to conscripted soldiers and vowed to ensure the continuation of essential services.
The fall of Assad’s regime has triggered significant developments across the country. Prisons, notorious for housing political detainees, have been opened, releasing elated inmates. In Assad’s Alawite stronghold near the Mediterranean coast, rebels have sought peaceful transitions without retribution, even visiting Assad’s hometown of Qardaha to meet with local elders.
Internationally, Assad’s fall has prompted responses from key players. Israel has intensified airstrikes to prevent weapons from falling into hostile hands, citing its attacks on Hezbollah as a contributing factor to Assad’s collapse. The U.S., with 900 troops in Syria, carried out airstrikes against ISIS to prevent its resurgence. Meanwhile, the Kurdish-led forces in the northeast have clashed with Turkey-backed rebels as power dynamics shift rapidly.
While Syria begins to navigate this uncertain transition, the Arab world faces the challenge of reintegrating a pivotal state while managing the threat of militant Sunni Islam. The global community watches closely as Syrians hope to rebuild and refugees dream of returning home.
Syria’s ministries call for civil servants to return to work
Syria’s ministries are calling for civil servants who worked in the bureaucracy that was until yesterday headed by President Bashar al-Assad to return to work, even as the new transitional government takes shape, The Financial Times reported.
Five ministries have issued calls via official channels, taken over from the Assad government and rebranded today with the three-star flag of the new governing coalition, for workers to continue providing basic services.
“Let us be one hand in building the new Syria and let the Ministry of Public Works… be the arm that builds and develops the country,” read a statement from the public works ministry.
The ministry of oil and mineral resources said the military operations department of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has provided “the necessary protection… to ensure the safety of workers” in oil facilities and called for them to come back to work.
‘Too early’ to say whether UK will strip Asma al-Assad or her British citizenship, Keir Starmer says
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated it is “too early” to determine whether Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Bashar al-Assad, will be stripped of her British citizenship following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.
According to The Guardian, Starmer emphasized the fast-evolving nature of the situation in Syria and stressed the importance of working with international allies to ensure a peaceful resolution and reject terrorism and violence.
Regarding Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group leading the Syrian rebels, UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said the government has not yet decided whether to remove the group’s terrorist designation. Lammy acknowledged HTS’s reassurances to minority groups in Aleppo, Hama, and Damascus, as well as its commitment to cooperating with international chemical weapons monitoring. The UK will assess HTS based on its actions, particularly its treatment of civilians in areas under its control.
While HTS, led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has distanced itself from its origins as an al-Qaeda affiliate, it remains designated as a terrorist organization by the US, and human rights abuses, including executions for alleged crimes such as blasphemy and adultery, have been reported in territories it governs. Lammy reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to combating terrorism in Syria, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by ISIS (Daesh) and the need to protect national and international security.
Germany and Austria pause Syrian asylum
Germany and Austria have paused asylum for Syrian refugees after Assad’s regime was toppled, according to AOL.com.
The German interior minister called the situation in Syria “very confusing” and that due to the unclear situation, they have “imposed a freeze on decisions for asylum procedures that are still ongoing until the situation is clearer.”
Nearly 1 million Syrian refugees live in Germany.
Austria’s interior minister has also instructed the ministry to “prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation program to Syria.”
Nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees live in Austria.
