U.S. President Joe Biden declared Sunday that the sudden demise of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad was a “fundamental act of justice,” but that it was “a moment of uncertainty” for the Mideast.
Biden, speaking at the White House, said the collapse of the decades-long iron rule by the Assad family was “the best opportunity in a generation for the Syrian people to forge their own destiny.”
Biden said that action by the U.S. and its allies over the last two years weakened Syria's backers — Russia, Iran and Iran-supported Hezbollah militants in Lebanon — to the extent that "for the first time" they could no longer defend the Assad government.
"Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said, after a meeting with his national security advisers at the White House.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades, because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, "was not interested in protecting him any longer."
Trump’s comments on his social media platform came a day after he decried the possibility that the U.S. might intervene militarily in Syria to aid the rebels as they moved to oust Assad, declaring, "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT."
The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.
The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group.
Biden said he intends for those troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted "dozens" of what he called "precision airstrikes" on Islamic State camps and operations in Syria.
Biden said the U.S. is "clear eyed" that ISIS will try to take advantage of the situation in Syria.
The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida.
"We will remain vigilant," Biden said. "Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses." He added that the groups are "saying the right things now."
"But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions," Biden said.
Trump, who takes office January 20, linked the upheaval in Syria and Russia's war in Ukraine, noting that Assad's allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, "are in a weakened state right now."
Vice President-elect JD Vance, a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on his own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents.
"Many of 'the rebels' are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they've moderated. Time will tell," he said.
With the collapse of the Assad regime, the family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him.
"To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we're waiting for Austin," Tice's mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. "We know that when he comes out, he's going to be fairly dazed & he's going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!"
Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus.
“We've remained committed to returning him to his family," Biden told reporters. "We believe he's alive, we think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable."
The president added: "We have to identify where he [Tice] is."
Some material in this report came from The Associated Press.
