Updated on December 8, 2024 – 7:49 p.mReading time: 5 minutes
A dictator who tortured and attacked his own people has fallen. Islamists are now in power in Syria. The reactions are optimistic.
After 13 years of rule, the Syrian ruler was overthrown on Sunday night. Many international politicians are pleased after the change of power. But there are also concerns about the rule of the Islamist rebels who have captured the capital Damascus.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has welcomed the fall of Syria’s long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad as “good news”. In a statement on Sunday, Scholz justified this assessment by saying that Assad had “brutally oppressed his own people, put countless lives on his conscience and forced numerous people to flee Syria.” Now it is “important that law and order be quickly restored in Syria.”
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on the parties to the conflict in Syria to protect religious and ethnic minorities after the end of rule. The Green politician said: “The country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals – no matter what their guise.”
It is also clear: “The end of Assad means a first big sigh of relief for millions of people in Syria after an eternity of atrocities committed by the Assad regime.” Several hundred thousand Syrians have been killed since 2011 and millions of people have been displaced. Assad murdered, tortured and used poison gas against his own population.
video | Syrian rebels declare end to Assad’s regime
The US President-elect Donald Trump posted on his network Truth Social: “Assad is gone. He fled his country. His protector Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was no longer interested in protecting him.” Trump also called on Russian President Putin to end the war in Ukraine. “I know Vladimir well. Now is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!”
The White House announced, US President Joe Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and are in constant contact with regional partners. US President-elect Donald Trump had previously made it clear that he did not want the US to interfere in any way in the crisis in Syria.
The USA wants to maintain its military presence in eastern Syria and prevent the radical Islamic militia “Islamic State” (IS) from regaining influence. This was announced by the US Department of Defense representative for the Middle East, Daniel Shapiroon. He called on all groups to protect civilians and respect international norms. This applies especially to minorities. It is possible that ISIS wants to use the opportunity to become active again and start operations, said Shapiro. “We are determined to permanently defeat IS, arrest fighters and return displaced people to their home countries.”
France’s President Emmanuel Macron says at the end of the regime that the barbaric state has finally fallen. France will continue to work for the security of everyone in the Middle East. “I pay my respects to the Syrian people, their courage and their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I wish them peace, freedom and unity,” writes Macron in a post on the online platform X.
