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What we know
- A coalition of Syrian rebels has toppled President Bashar al-Assad's government and captured the capital, Damascus.
- President Joe Biden called it a "moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria" in remarks at the White House today.
- Russian state media reported that Assad landed in Moscow after having fled. A senior Biden administration official confirmed that Russia has given Assad asylum.
- Assad, who was Syria’s president for over two decades and inherited the post from his father, Hafez al-Assad, has given orders for a peaceful transition of power, according to Russia, a close ally of the regime.
- Celebrations broke out in Damascus after rebels claimed victory in the 13-year civil war. In less than two weeks, rebel groups advanced across Syria, taking the cities of Aleppo and Homs before seizing Damascus.
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the assault along with other groups, has historic ties to Al Qaeda and is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. It has recently appeared to renounce more extremist elements.
Biden pledged the U.S. will continue to be involved in Syria as the country enters a new era free from the Assad regime and rebel groups take Damascus. NBC News’ Raf Sanchez and Allie Raffa have the latest from the region.
FBI offering up to $1 million reward for information about Austin Tice
The FBI has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information about the disappearance of American journalist Austin Tice, who it believes was kidnapped in Syria while covering the civil war in 2012.
“Given recent events in Syria, the FBI is renewing our call for information that could lead to the safe location, recovery, and return of Austin Bennett Tice, who was detained in Damascus in August 2012,” the agency wrote in a statement. “The FBI and our government partners remain committed to bringing Austin home to his family.”
Tips can be submitted by email to [email protected] or at tips.fbi.gov, according to the statement.
The announcement came shortly after Tice’s family renewed their plea for help in finding him. Biden also expressed optimism today that the U.S. would be able to bring him back home.
Blinken says U.S. supports international efforts to hold Assad regime accountable
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that the Syrian people “finally have a reason for hope,” saying in a statement that the U.S. supports a peaceful transition of power “through an inclusive Syrian-led process.”
“After 14 years of conflict, the Syrian people finally have reason for hope. The Assad regime’s refusal since 2011 to engage in a credible political process and its reliance on the brutal support of Russia and Iran led inevitably to its own collapse,” Blinken said.
He added the Syrian people have “every right” to demand the preservation of state institutions, the resumption of key services and the protection of vulnerable communities during the transitional period, saying the U.S. will be closely monitoring the region.
“We will support international efforts to hold the Assad regime and its backers accountable for atrocities and abuses perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the use of chemical weapons and the unjust detention of civilians such as Austin Tice," Blinken said.
“We again call on all actors to respect human rights, take all precautions to protect civilians, and to uphold international humanitarian law,” he said.
Senior administration official: The fall of Assad wouldn't have been possible without U.S. support for Ukraine, Israel
A senior administration official said after a National Security Council background briefing on Syria that the fall of Assad would not have been possible without the U.S.’ direct support for Ukraine and defense of Israel against Iran.
The senior official said Assad was abandoned because his key reinforcements from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah no longer had the capacity to help him. The official said a “direct line” could be drawn between the Assad regime’s falling and the U.S.’ actions in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
“It is impossible not to place its weakened defense in the context of the decisions the president has made to fully back Israel against Iran and his proxy terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and Ukraine against Russia,” the official said.
“You can really draw a line from the fateful decisions that we made and that Iran made in the days after Oct. 7 to today,” they added.
The official also said the U.S. is taking prudent measures to ensure chemical weapons in the Assad regime’s military arsenal do not fall into the wrong hands, saying “some of our partners in the region have been engaged” to ensure the weapons are not available “to anyone.”
The U.S. designated HTS, the rebel group that led the capture of Damascus and other key Syrian cities, as a foreign terrorist organization in 2018. The senior official dodged on whether the U.S. would remove the designation in the wake of the Assad regime’s fall.
The official said the U.S. has been “watching very closely” to see whether rebel leaders’ statements about including other groups will translate to actions on the ground.
“We’re very much hopeful they will be, but we will be engaging with the broad spectrum of Syrian society, opposition groups, groups on the ground in Syria, exile groups,” the official said.
Syrians abroad celebrate as rebels capture Damascus
Syrians from Beirut to Berlin are celebrating the fall of Assad’s regime as rebel forced seize Damascus.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair calls on international community to help displaced Syrians
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, called the fall of the Assad regime “the beginning of a new and hopeful chapter for the Syrian people.”
“For the first time in decades, Syrians have a real opportunity to move past the horrors inflicted by Bashar al-Assad and his enablers in Russia and Iran, and beyond the decades of suffering under his family’s brutal rule,” Cardin said in a statement today.
Cardin called for the protection of Syrians’ human rights and state institutions. He also urged the international community to prioritize regional stability and ensure bad actors don’t exploit this moment.
“International efforts must focus on securing the Assad regime’s weapons, particularly chemical stockpiles, and ensuring groups like ISIS do not exploit this moment,” Cardin said. “Regional stability is equally critical. Support for key partners—including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq—must remain steadfast to secure their borders and maintain security.”
He said the international community must be prepared to aid Syrians and help manage their reintegration as they return to their home communities.
“The international community, with leadership from the United States, must be prepared to provide Syrians the assistance they need to create the country and the future they deserve and for which they have fought for so long,” he said.
House Foreign Affairs Chair McCaul calls for Assad, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah to be held accountable
In a statement shared first with NBC News, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, called out the "barbarity" of the Assad regime and urged the international community to work "to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS."
“Bashar Al Assad has been one of the world’s most brutal war criminals and dictators. Backed by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, Assad and his cronies used chemical weapons and engaged in widescale bombing, torture, and disappearance of the Syrian people. The Assad regime’s barbarity was a significant driver of years of regional instability that threatened the United States and our allies," McCaul said.
He added: “As we turn to Syria’s future, it is vital the international community continue working to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and other terrorist organizations. I hope the stunning developments of recent days will spur a peaceful, political process that results in an inclusive government for the Syrian people that respects human rights and makes positive contributions to regional security."
McCaul also called for "accountability for the egregious crimes committed by the Assad regime, Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah against the Syrian people.”
Photos: Syrians celebrate in Denmark, London, Serbia
A man tears up a photo of Assad in front of the Syrian Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, today.
Members of the Syrian community wave opposition flags today in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Supporters and members of the Syrian community hug one another at a gathering in London's Trafalgar Square.
'This is the moment': Austin Tice's family pleads for help finding him
Austin Tice's family urged anyone with information about the American journalist's whereabouts to help them bring him home.
Jacob Tice this morning described the capture of Damascus as "singular and momentous" not just for Syrians but also for his family, as it has renewed hope for his brother's return after he disappeared in Syria in 2012. The Biden administration has been in communication with them over the past several days.
"They indicated to us that they were doing everything possible as the situation changes and this influx in Syria to bring Austin home," Jacob Tice said. "And now we say in this moment, this morning, this is the moment to come true to that."
His mother pleaded with the public to help "direct" Austin to his family.
"We're asking anyone that knows someone in Syria, anyone that's in Syria that hears this, to just please remind people that we're waiting for Austin," Debra Tice said.
U.S. Air Force conducts more than 75 strikes on ISIS targets amid Syria regime change
The U.S. ordered dozens of "precision airstrikes" against ISIS camps and operatives throughout Syria today, Central Command said.
More than 75 strikes were carried out against Islamic State-related targets in an effort to degrade its capabilities and prevent ISIS from taking advantage of the current situation in Syria. The Air Force used a variety of aircraft, including B-52s, F-15s and A-10s.
Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said all groups in the area should be aware the U.S. will act "if they partner with or support ISIS in any way.”
"There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in central Syria," he said.