Rebel group overthrows Syria's longtime dictator bashar assadmarking a monumental turning point in the nearly 14-year civil war.
The takeover, which forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country, could have “significant” spillover effects in the Middle East comparable to what happened after the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to one Republican lawmaker.
“This is very important. The fall of Assad's dictatorship. The ramifications of this are going to be really remarkable,” Rep. Joe Wilson, R.S.C., said on Sunday's “Fox Report.” . “This was the equivalent of the Berlin Wall, with the ripple effect of dozens of countries becoming free after 50 years of occupation and totalitarian rule.”
Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad exiles as Islamic rebels conquer country
bashar al assad Rebels fled Syria after storming the capital Damascus on Saturday. President Assad, whose government repeatedly used chemical weapons on the population, reportedly fled with his wife and children.
President Biden said in a speech on Sunday that the United States had no confirmation of Assad's whereabouts, noting that “we have information that he is in Moscow.”
Wilson argued that Israel's success in weakening Iran and its proxies, and Ukraine's “weakening” of Russia, led to developments in Syria. He predicted that this would have a “dramatic impact on war criminal Putin's ability to use his powers.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday stressed that the fall of the Assad regime was a “direct result” of Israel's attacks on Iran and Hezbollah, calling the overall situation “containing grave dangers.”
Biden says fall of Assad regime is 'moment of historic opportunity' for Syrian people
A coalition of mainly radical Islamist groups overthrew the Iranian-backed Assad regime. US-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS)an Islamist former al-Qaeda affiliate that is part of the rebel group, played a decisive role in the ouster of Assad, who took over as president in 2000 after the death of his father, Hafez Assad.
“And finally, we remain vigilant. Don't get me wrong, some of the rebels who toppled Assad have their own terrible criminal record of terrorism and human rights abuses. We have recently “We are looking at the statements of rebel leaders.” And while they are saying the right things now, as they take on more responsibility, we will not only look at their words but their actions. We’re going to evaluate it,” Biden continued on Sunday.
The president said the U.S. would support Syria's neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, “in the event of any threat from Syria during this transition period” after Assad stepped down in the face of rebel forces. Then he explained in detail. Biden said the effort will include senior government officials meeting with world leaders and the president meeting directly with leaders of neighboring countries.
As questions swirl about how the Middle Eastern country will be governed after the rebel takeover, Congressman Wilson believed the Syrian people would “push forward as a diaspora towards a free and democratic Syria”. .
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FOX News' Emma Colton, Benjamin Weinthal and Bradford Betts contributed to this report.
