The Biden administration issued a call Monday for a peaceful transition to a representative government in Syria as Washington and capitals around the Middle East and beyond struggled to come to grips with the potential power vacuum brought on by the shocking, sudden collapse of the regime of ousted and now exiled President Bashar Assad.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Syria’s new leaders, a loose confederation of opposition factions, some with historical ties to al Qaeda and other violent Islamist groups, now face the responsibility of uniting and governing a badly divided nation that had been ruled by the Assad family’s iron fist for more than a half-century.
“The Syrian people deserve respect for their human rights and fundamental freedoms, the resumption of key services, and the protection and participation of marginalized populations, including members of minority groups,” Mr. Miller told reporters.
Mr. Assad’s refusal since 2011 to engage in a “credible political process” at the outset of a brutal civil war, coupled with his reliance on the support of bad actors such as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah to retain his grip on power, contributed to his ignominious downfall, State Department officials said. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Washington is still trying to determine who now holds the reins of power in Damascus.
“The United States is committed to working with the Syrian people as they define the path toward a brighter future,” Mr. Miller said.
Syria’s armed opposition, long bottled up in a northern border region, launched a surprise large-scale offensive against government troops in late November. By Saturday, a force spearheaded by the Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had seized the large cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs. On Sunday, their forces pushed into Damascus as government troops melted away.
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While Mr. Assad decamped to Moscow, rebel leaders said they planned for now to keep the civil government and military authorities in place to ease the shock of the transition of power. The nominal head of the outgoing Syrian government, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali, said he was ready for a peaceful transfer of power, officials said.
Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, met with Mr. al-Jalali for the first time on Monday, The Associated Press reported.
“We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” Mr. al-Jalali, who had been appointed by Mr. Assad, told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday.
Analysts say the first euphoric days after Mr. Assad’s ouster have been remarkably stress-free. Syria’s religious and ethnic factions issued statements of solidarity with the new authorities.
How long that will last is another question.
“This is the honeymoon period for Syria,” Charles Lister, senior fellow and director of Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, wrote in an analysis. “A huge challenge lies ahead in determining how the transition occurs and what shape it will take.”
Syria’s downfall will have massive consequences for countries around the region. Turkey has waged its war with Syria’s Kurds and houses millions of Syrian refugees. Israel moved to expand its border buffer with Syria to Iran, which has lost a key ally and its treasured “land bridge” to allies in Lebanon and elsewhere. Russia, a prime military backer of Mr. Assad, has been humiliated by his defeat, and the fates of a key Russian port in Syria and other Kremlin assets remain uncertain.
Taking credit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv deserves some credit for what happened in Damascus. He cited a direct link between the rapid collapse of Mr. Assad’s government and Russia’s struggles to conquer Ukraine after launching a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbor nearly three years ago.
A drained and distracted Kremlin could not come to the aid of a critical Middle East ally before he was toppled. Mr. Zelenskyy noted on his Telegram social media page that the events in Syria are a “vivid example” of why Ukraine still requires the steadfast support of its backers within NATO and in other regions.
“The Assad regime fell not only because of the strength of the opposition. This happened also because there are not enough Russian troops there,” Mr. Zelenskyy wrote. “Why? Because the entire combat-ready Russian army is on the territory of Ukraine.”
Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, was in Jordan on Monday to reassure nervous officials in Amman that the U.S. would help protect them from any spillover of the Syrian conflict amid fears that jihadi groups that operated in eastern Syria may rearm and regroup with the fall of the central government in Damascus.
“Jordan has long served as a reliable strategic partner for peace and stability in the region, and Gen. Kurilla reiterated the U.S. commitment to supporting Jordan should any threats arrive from Syria during the current transition period,” Central Command officials said.
Damascus fell only hours after HTS’ leaders announced that they had captured the strategic city of Homs on the way to the capital. Washington identifies HTS as a terrorist group, though the group claims to have broken its alliance with al Qaeda years ago.
Mr. Assad relied on Russia to help facilitate his escape from Syrians who wanted his head after years of suffering under his rule. Although they offered him asylum, officials in Moscow are reaching out to the new rulers about their vital military bases in Syria.
“We don’t have any information about the status of those bases and what the incoming Syrian regime may or may not do with respect to them,” Mr. Miller said. “Russia has a lot to answer for when it comes to the Syrian people. It would not surprise me at all if the people in Syria were asking questions about those Russian facilities.”
The Biden administration didn’t criticize Israel’s decision to send its forces into the Golan Heights buffer zone after Syrian troops suddenly abandoned the positions.
“Israel has said that these actions are temporary to defend its border. Every country has the right to take action against terrorist organizations,” Mr. Miller said. “We want to see lasting security between Israel and Syria.”
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, sent a message Monday to his U.S. counterpart, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, about the Israel Defense Forces operations in the buffer zone between both countries, known as the Area of Separation. He said the IDF would continue to act as necessary to protect Israel and its citizens.
“Israel is not intervening in the ongoing conflict between Syrian armed groups. Our actions are solely focused on safeguarding our security,” Mr. Danon wrote.
AP reported Monday that Damascus was quiet, with street life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions remained closed. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores.
AP said there was little sign of a security presence, though small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets in some areas.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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