DAMASCUS - Former Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday issued his first public statement since leaving Damascus on Dec. 8, detailing the chaotic moments leading up to his departure for Russia.
The statement, released via the Syrian presidency's account on Telegram, concerned the rumours that accompanied Assad's departure and the collapse of his government after more than 13 years of civil conflict.
Asad insisted that he had not planned to leave and that he remained in the capital until the early hours of 8 December to attend to his duties. When militant groups entered Damascus, he coordinated with "Russian friends" to move to the coastal province of Latakia to continue directing military operations from there, he added.
However, upon arrival at the Russian Hmeimim airbase, Assad found that all remaining Syrian army positions had collapsed and that ground forces had withdrawn from the front line, the statement said.
As the situation deteriorated and the Russian base itself faced drone attacks, Assad said Moscow arranged for an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8.
Assad said the idea of seeking asylum or giving up his post had never come up before and said his only option was to continue fighting.
He rejected any notion of abandoning the Syrian people, stressing that he had rejected "deals and temptations" throughout the war. Assad noted that even during the worst years of the conflict, he and his family remained in Damascus and faced repeated threats of militant advances for more than 13 years.
The deposed president described himself as a leader who never sought personal power and saw his role as part of a national project supported by the Syrian people.
With the state succumbing to what he called "terrorists" and no ability to serve the public left, he said the office of president had lost "its meaning".
Nevertheless, Assad insisted that his national identity and allegiance to Syria remain firm and expressed hope that the country will one day regain its freedom and independence.
An alliance of fighters led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group launched a major offensive from northern Syria on 27 November and has since swept south through areas held by the Assad government. After territorial gains, including the capture of the capital Damascus, the alliance declared the end of Assad's rule on 8 December.
Xinhua/ gnews - RoZ
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