Syria: al-Assad speaks for the first time since his escape, the things said and unsaid

The fallen Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, came forward on Monday, December 16, to comment on the spectacular fall of his regime, which took just 10 days, after he had ruled the country with an iron fist for 23 years (plus the 30 years of his father, whose tomb ended up in ashes). 

He did so through a statement broadcast on the presidential Telegram channel. “My departure from Syria was not scheduled and did not happen during the final hours of the battle, contrary to some claims… While the base was under intense drone fire, with no way to leave the base, Moscow asked the commanders on the ground to organize an evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8,” al-Assad argued.

He claims he is talking out to correct “a torrent of false information and stories far from the truth.” Nevertheless, he does not mention the horrors in his prisons or the horrific scenes that the world saw, nor does he comment on the celebrations that followed his departure to a golden exile. He also refrains from addressing the serious accusations regarding the vast sums of money generated by drug trafficking and the financial schemes his wife allegedly orchestrated to hide embezzled assets. 

What matters to al-Assad is his narrative, one that highlights heroism, bravery, and romance that no one saw on the fateful date of December 8, 2024. It will be very difficult to counter the version presented by the very serious Reuters agency last Sunday. According to the news outlet, based on testimonies from a dozen close sources, the former Syrian president had not shared his plans to escape the country with anyone…

According to a commander who attended a meeting with military officials at the Ministry of Defense, up until the last minute, al-Assad maintained in front of his men that Russia would soon intervene, as it did in 2015.

He claimed he left Damascus on the morning of Sunday, December 8, to head to Latakia and his Russian base in Hmeimim. The rest of the events, he says, were dictated by circumstances. So, in that case, he should go all the way and comment on the twenty luxury apartments he allegedly acquired before fleeing. We are not making any definitive statements; we are just saying that the Syrians he left behind, especially those who remained loyal to him until the very last second, would like to know.”