A Sad Day for Assad

6 days ago4 min read

By Caitlynn Sue Feb. 12, 2025

Within two weeks of initiating a surprise offensive, opposition forces in Syria captured the capital of Damascus, toppling the longstanding regime of Bashar al-Assad. This marked the end of the Syrian civil war, an international conflict that started over 13 years ago in response to Assad’s cruel crackdown on protests during the Arab Spring. The war had transformed into a complex conflict involving numerous domestic opposition groups and international powers, resulting in the deaths of over 500,000 Syrians and the displacement of over half the population, according to the BBC.

Assad’s rule during the Syrian Civil War had been characterized by brutality, particularly towards civilians. According to the Global Public Policy Institute, the Assad regime carried out over 300 chemical attacks, often through chemical carpet bombing on rebel-controlled civilian areas. Other extreme methods of counterinsurgency carried out by the regime included extrajudicially detaining and torturing thousands of Syrians for alleged disloyalty. Various reports have documented the regime’s systematic killing of thousands of detainees and detailed the widespread use of torture methods such as starvation, electrocution and strangulation in Syrian prisons.

“Governments that use torture to silence their opponents show a lack of respect for human rights and rely on fear to maintain control. While this might work in the short term, it often leads to resentment, instability, and rebellion in the long run. Assad’s treatment of Syrian citizens was brutal and dehumanizing, causing immense suffering and fueling the conflict,” Sophomore Katherine Zhu said.

The leading group among the Syrian rebel forces was Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an organization that started off as an al-Qaeda affiliate in opposition to Assad, but publicly broke away from al-Qaeda in 2016. In November 2024, HTS led rebel forces in an attack in Northwestern Syria, faced little resistance from Assad’s army; Many of Assad’s soldiers abandoned their posts, pretending to be civilians or fleeing the country. HTS and their ally the Southern Operations Room, a coalition of 25 rebel groups in Southern Syria, advanced on Damascus from multiple sides.

On Dec. 8, 2024, rebels declared Damascus liberated, and Assad fled to Moscow, where he was granted political asylum by the Russian government. Syrians around the world rejoiced at the news of Assad’s fall, hoping that this would lead to a new era of peace in Syria.

Both international and domestic factors contributed to the rebels’ quick takeover. Assad’s regime had heavily relied on Russia and Iran for military support. However, in 2024, Russia was preoccupied with its invasion of Ukraine, and Iran was focused on the conflict in Israel. Domestically, corruption and poor morale weakened Assad’s army, leaving it vulnerable to collapse.

Although the Assad regime has fallen, Syria still has a long road to recovery. After rebel groups took control of Damascus, thousands of Syrians rushed to prisons to look for missing friends and relatives. In one of the largest prisons, Sednaya prison, between 5,000 to 13,000 prisoners were executed between 2011 and 2015, per Amnesty International. While there were some joyous reunions, many Syrians will be forever left in the dark on the fate of their loved ones.

“It would be difficult for families who had lost loved ones in the imprisonment to recover, especially since they never got closure on why their family member could not be found. Additionally, after Assad’s removal from power, many Syrians may feel anxious about whether they can trust the future of the government,” Junior Kali Gruenhagan said.

Following Assad’s fall, many European countries such as Germany and the UK have suspended Syrian asylum applications. Over a million Syrians have sought refuge in Europe since the war began in 2011. While many Syrians express joy at the thought of returning to their country, others have pointed out that current conditions in Syria are not safe enough for dignified returns. More than half the population lives in areas contaminated in land mines and at least 144 have been killed by landmines since Assad’s fall, the BBC reported.

Israel has also invaded the buffer zone between Israel and Syria designated in the ceasefire of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, ostensibly to protect the neutral zone, and has begun building military bases in the territory. The Mediterranean nation launched extensive airstrikes against Syria in support of its operation, attacking their navy, chemical stockpiles, and other military targets.

The leader of HTS, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is now seen as the de facto leader of Syria. While he has criticized Israel’s campaign in Syria, he acknowledged that his country was not in the position to get involved in a new conflict. Although the HTS has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, it claims to not impose extremist interpretations of Islamic governance such as restrictions on women’s education or religious discrimination. However, a 2023 U.S. State Department report found that the HTS has arrested, tortured and killed activists and civilians that they perceived as threats or violated their strict religious interpretations. Given the dubious nature of the new HTS government and the conflicting desires of the various regional groups, the future of Syria is still uncertain, and the region may struggle to find stability. Ultimately though, the people of Syria are hopeful for a fresh start.

About the Contributors

Caitlynn Sue

staff writer

Caitlynn Sue is a Junior at Leland High School and a page editor for journalism. This is her second year in journalism and she loves writing and eating snacks during print night. Outside of journalism, she enjoys baking, violin, and dance.