Mon 16 December 2024:
The Syrian presidency’s telegram channel has published a statement purported to be from Bashar al-Assad, in which the deposed president says he left Syria on the evening of December 8 and that his departure was unplanned.
“First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday December 8, 2024,” the statement says.
“As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations. Upon arrival at the Khmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.
“As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes. With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8 December.
“This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.”
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https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22
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Al-Assad says Syria ‘in the hands of terrorism’
The former president is purported to have said that the country is now in “the hands of terrorism” in what appears to be his first statement since he was deposed.
“I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision,” he said in a statement attributed to al-Assad and released on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel.
“I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment.
“When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless.
“This does not, in any way, diminish my profound sense of belonging to Syria and her people – a bond that remains unshaken by any position or circumstance. It is a belonging filled with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent.”
Al-Assad brutally suppressed a peaceful uprising against his rule in 2011. During the subsequent war, his regime was characterised by its indiscriminate bombing and starvation of opposition areas, systematic torture, corruption and the use of chemical weapons.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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