Bashar al-Assad

Biden Calls For Assad To Be 'Held Accountable'

US President Joe Biden on Sunday said deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. In the first full US reaction to Assad's overthrow by an Islamist-led coalition of rebel factions, Biden ...

Assad and Family Take Refuge in Moscow After Fleeing Damascus

Syria's ousted president Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow, a Kremlin source told Russian news agencies, hours after he fled the country as Islamist-led rebels entered Damascus. The announcement comes as Russia, a key Assad ally, called for an emergency meeting of the UN security council on the fast-changing situation on the ground in ...

Across Europe, Syrians Hold Joyful Rallies to Celebrate Fall of Assad

Thousands of jubilant Syrians rallied in Berlin and cities across Europe on Sunday, waving flags and singing with joy to celebrate the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. "Finally we are free!" exclaimed a smiling Bassam Al-Hamada, 39, among 5,000 people at an exuberant rally in the capital of Germany, the country home to the largest ...

Syrians Enter Bashar al-Assad's Looted Damascus Home

Dozens of Syrians explored President Bashar al-Assad's luxurious Damascus home after it was looted on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, following the fall of the capital to rebel forces. Women, children and men could be seen touring the home and its large garden, with the rooms completely empty, save some furniture and a portrait of Assad ...

Syria's Bashar al-Assad's Quarter Century in Power

AFP looks back at almost a quarter-century of rule by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since he was propelled to power following the death of his father Hafez in 2000. 2000: takes over from father On July 17, 2000, Assad becomes Syria's new head of state, after the death of his father, aged 69, who ruled Syria with an iron grip for 30 years. He ...

Bashar al-Assad: From Tyranny to Collapse

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad oversaw a merciless crackdown on a pro-democracy revolt that morphed into one of the bloodiest wars of the century. On Sunday, as rebels entered the capital, a Syrian war monitor said he had left the country, in what could spell the end not just of his 24-year rule but the downfall of his clan's five-decade ...

Syria Rebels Say They Control Homs

Islamist-led rebels announced Sunday they had captured the strategic city of Homs, on the way towards Damascus where Syria's embattled government said it was setting up an impenetrable security cordon. The defence ministry earlier denied rebels had entered Homs, describing the situation there as "safe and stable". But the leader of ...

Islamist-Led Rebels Advance Towards Damascus

Rebels on a lightning advance through Syria said they were nearing Damascus on Saturday, although Bashar al-Assad's government denied that the army had withdrawn from areas around the capital. "Our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital," said rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani, with the Islamist-led alliance ...

Syria: Despite Assad's Appeal, Russian and Iranian Support Remains Shy

As Islamist rebel forces from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) approach the city of Homs, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad desperately needs the help of his Russian and Iranian allies. However, Moscow and Tehran's military resources are already stretched thin due to the war in Ukraine and numerous conflicts in the Middle East. According to experts ...

Syria: UN Chief Decries 'Collective Failure' as Turkey Urges Political Solution to Conflict

UN chief Antonio Guterres said Thursday that the escalating conflict in Syria is the result of a "chronic collective failure" of diplomacy, as he called for an end to fighting. After being dormant for years, the Syrian civil war exploded back into life last week as Islamist-led rebels launched an offensive against the forces of ...

OPCW Concerned Over Syria's 'Large Quantities' of Chemical Weapons

The world's chemical watchdog said Monday that it was "seriously concerned" by large gaps in Syria's declaration about its chemical weapons stockpile, as large quantities of potentially banned warfare agents might be involved. Syria agreed in 2013 to join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, shortly after an ...

From Uprising to Collapse: 13 Years of Conflict in Syria

On March 15, 2011, Syrians took to the streets in protest against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Thirteen years later, the country remains embroiled in a deep crisis, caught in an unending conflict. On this occasion, we have the opportunity to interview Fabrice Balanche, author of Les Leçons de la crise syrienne (Odile Jacob).