Assad says he had no plans to leave Syria but was evacuated by Russians in first public statement since his ouster

First public comments attributed to Assad since fall claim he never planned to leave Syria

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have issued his first remarks since opposition forces took over Syria more than a week ago, claiming his departure from the country was “neither planned nor did it occur in the final hours of the battles” against the rebel forces he calls “terrorists.”The statement attributed to Assad was posted in English on the deposed Syrian presidency’s account on the Telegram messaging app, dated Dec. 1…

Assad claims he was forced to flee Syria in first statement since rebels toppled his regime

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has broken his silence since the fall of his regime, claiming he never intentionally fled to Russia — and blaming his troops for the stunning collapse. A post Monday on Assad's former Telegram channel claims he merely left the capital on Dec. 8 to meet with Russian forces in the Latakia province "to oversee combat operations" as Syrian rebels stormed Damascus. Amid the assault, Assad said, he was forced to…

Assad Releases First Statement Following Government Collapse

Following the collapse of his government, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad released a public statement this morning, the first since fleeing to Moscow, Russia, last week. The Syrian Presidency Telegram channel said they published the statement on social media after several failed attempts to release it through media outlets. In the statement, Assad addressed misinformation around the events of the last two weeks, posting on Telegram: As terroris…

Assad breaks silence, says he left Syria as Russian base came under attack

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he only left the country in the late hours of December 8 after a Russian air base allegedly came under attack by rebel forces and officials in Moscow ordered “an immediate evacuation.” In what appear to be Assad’s first public comments since the fall of his regime in war-torn Syria, a post on the…

Assad gives account of last hours before leaving Syria

Syria's Bashar al-Assad issued his first statement since being toppled from power, saying he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base on Dec. 8 as it came under drone attack, after leaving Damascus that morning with rebel fighters closing in.