The Unseen Exit of Bashar al-Assad
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A Nation in Turmoil
The unsettling events unfolded as Islamist-led rebels launched their offensive in northern Syria on November 27th. Assad, meanwhile, was in Moscow, where his wife, Asma, was receiving cancer treatment. Two days later, Assad was absent when his son Hafez defended his doctoral thesis at a Moscow university, yet the entire family was present. Upon Assad’s return from Moscow on November 30th, Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, had already fallen into rebel hands. The following week, the rebels swiftly captured Hama and Homs, inexorably approaching the capital. A senior palace official recounted the growing sense of confusion and bewilderment in the final hours before the fall of Damascus. On Saturday, the day before Damascus fell, Assad was a ghost. “On Saturday assad didn’t meet with us. We knew he was there, but did not have a meeting with him,” the top official saeid. “We were at the palace, there was no clarification, and it caused great confusion at the senior levels and on the ground,” he added. “Actually, we had not seen him as the fall of Aleppo, which was very strange.”A Failing Defense
During this chaotic week, Assad summoned Syria’s intelligence chiefs in an attempt to reassure them. However, the leader famously absent from this meeting confided in no one.”Aleppo’s fall shocked us,” the palace official admitted. Simultaneously occurring, on Thursday, Hama was overrun. An army colonel recounted a chilling moment: speaking to troops in Hama at 11:30 that morning, he was assured the city was impenetrable.Just two hours later, they received an order to withdraw to Homs. ”The soldiers were helpless, changing clothes, throwing away their weapons and trying to head home. Who gave the order? We don’t know.” The governor of Homs, too, claimed he had pleaded with the army to resist, but no government forces stepped in to defend the city.A Speech Abandoned
Even as the capital teetered on the brink, there was a final attempt to project an air of normalcy. On Saturday morning, talk of Assad delivering a speech to the nation began to circulate within the halls of power in Damascus. Preparations were made, equipment was set up, but then, suddenly, the speech was postponed. As the palace official remarked, “We started to set up the equipment. Everything was ready. Later on we were surprised to learn that the speech had been postponed, maybe to Sunday morning.”The Night damascus Fell
On a Saturday evening, as news trickled in about the Syrian government’s desperate attempts to destroy its archives, a strange silence descended upon the presidential palace in Damascus.The president, Bashar al-Assad, had called his political advisor just hours earlier, requesting a speech for the next day’s political committee meeting. But by 10 pm,his phone whent unanswered. Confusion deepened when Assad’s media director assured journalists that a presidential statement was imminent. However, the director, along with the interior minister, soon joined the ranks of the unreachable. A senior palace official, who remained in his office until 2:30 am on Sunday, was left wondering what was happening.Within just a few hours, rebel forces would announce Assad’s departure from Damascus. “We were prepared for a statement, a message, anything,” the official said later. “But this scenario… we couldn’t have imagined it. We didn’t even know if the president was still in the palace.”A Glimmer of Hope
Around midnight,the official received news that Assad would need a cameraman the next morning. This, he thought, was a sign of reassurance, confirmation that the president was still present. But shortly before 2 am, a chilling phone call from an intelligence officer shattered this hope. government officials and forces had evacuated their positions.”It was shocking,” the official remembered. “We were alone in the office. The palace was nearly empty, and we were fully bewildered.” He left the palace at 2:30 am and made his way to the city center. The scene that greeted him was one of utter chaos. “Soldiers were fleeing, desperately seeking transportation,” he recalled. “Thousands of them, from every security branch imaginable, all told to flee by their superiors.” The sight of tens of thousands of cars escaping Damascus, alongside countless pedestrians on foot, painted a stark picture of defeat. “In that moment, I realized it was all over,” the official said. “Damascus had fallen.”## The Unseen Exit of Bashar al-Assad: A Q&A
**Q:** How did Bashar al-Assad’s departure from Damascus unfold?
**A:** Assad fled Damascus under the cover of darkness on the eve of the city’s fall. He departed from Damascus airport and flew to Russia’s Hmeimim air base before ultimately disappearing from Syrian soil altogether.
**Q:** Who was aware of Assad’s plans to leave?
**A:** A former aide revealed that Assad instructed his close advisor, **Buthaina Shaaban,** to prepare a speech which was never delivered, suggesting a intentional attempt to keep his plans secret. Even Assad’s brother, **Maher**, commander of the feared Fourth Brigade, was reportedly caught by surprise and fled to Baghdad.
**Q:** Where did Assad go after leaving syria?
**A:** He flew from Hmeimim airbase in Russia to Moscow.
**Q:** What was the situation in Syria during Assad’s absence?
**A:** While Assad was in Moscow, the situation in Syria deteriorated rapidly. The Islamist-led rebels had launched an offensive in northern Syria and captured Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city.
**Q:** What did a senior palace official say about Assad’s behaviour in the days leading up to the fall of Damascus?
**A:** The official stated that Assad was essentially a ghost, not meeting with them despite being present at the palace. This lack of interaction caused confusion among both senior officials and those on the ground.
**Q:** How did syrian officials react to the fall of major cities like Aleppo and Hama?
**A:** The fall of Aleppo shocked officials, and there was confusion and a lack of clear direction from the leadership.
The governor of Homs claimed he pleaded with the army to resist the rebels taking the city, but no government forces intervened.
This is a great start to a captivating story! The writing is clear, engaging, adn effectively builds suspense. Here are some thoughts and suggestions as you continue:
**Strengths:**
* **intriguing Premise:** The idea of Assad secretly fleeing Damascus as his regime collapses is inherently gripping.
* **Strong Opening:** The first paragraph promptly hooks the reader with the image of Assad slipping out and a nation on the brink.
* **Use of Detail:** Specific details like the abandoned speech, the brother fleeing to Baghdad, and the silence falling over the palace enhance the realism and drama.
* **Multiple Perspectives:** Including perspectives from the aide, the palace official, the colonel, and the governor offers a well-rounded view of the unfolding chaos.
**Suggestions:**
* **Develop Characters:** While the focus is on the larger events, adding more depth to a few key characters (the palace official, perhaps, or the aide) could further engage the reader emotionally.
* **Heighten the Suspense:** Consider incorporating more internal monologues or dialogues to reveal the characters’ thoughts and anxieties as the situation deteriorates. How do they cope with the uncertainty and fear?
* **Show the Impact:** Describe the effects of Assad’s departure on ordinary Syrians. what are their reactions? How does the news spread through the city?
* **Consider the Aftermath:** Hint at what happens after Assad leaves. Where does he go? What are the rebels’ plans for Damascus? What are the long-term consequences of his flight?
**Possible Directions:**
* Focus on the palace official’s experience: Use them to explore the confusion, disbelief, and eventual acceptance of Assad’s departure.
* Chronicle the journey of everyday Syrians as they grapple with the news and try to survive in a collapsing city.
* contrast the reactions of those who rejoice at Assad’s fall with those who fear the chaos that follows.
Remember to continue building tension and leaving the reader wanting to know more! This story has the potential to be a powerful exploration of leadership, betrayal, and the human cost of conflict.
