Worthy Christian News > World News > Last Days Of Syria’s Assad Marked By ‘Chaos and Betrayal’

Last Days Of Syria’s Assad Marked By ‘Chaos and Betrayal’

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

DAMASCUS (Worthy News) – The final days of Syria’s autocratic President Bashar al-Assad “unfolded in complete chaos,” with him being used as “a puppet” by various nations, a senior aid revealed Wednesday.

It was a hornet’s nest from which he could no longer escape, explained Kamel Saqr, Assad’s longtime “right-hand man.”

In a 90-minute podcast interview, he said Turkey saw an opportunity to claim territory. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been a close ally, “was too preoccupied” with Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Additionally, Iran, which had long supported Assad’s government, was overwhelmed by Israel’s successful attacks against its proxy, Hezbollah.

“Chaos” is perhaps the best word to describe Assad’s downfall. He was ignored, deceived, and possibly even trapped by Putin, suggested Saqr.

He recalled that a week before his country completely collapsed and was taken over by rebels, the Syrian leader visited Moscow.

However, Putin showed little interest in meeting him, with their appointment being rescheduled three times, Saqr explained in the podcast hosted by the Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya.

He recalled that Assad and a Syrian general were eventually allowed a brief one-hour meeting at the Kremlin.

SEEKING ASSURANCES

Assad reportedly sought assurances from Putin for support in his war against the rebels, explicitly requesting Iranian weapons under Russian oversight. Putin allegedly promised to instruct Iran to deliver the weapons.

But it later emerged that Putin never contacted Iran, and the crucial weapons never arrived, Saqr revealed in the podcast.

Assad, he said, was “deliberately” deceived. Without Iranian arms, Assad stood no chance against the rebels.

He repeatedly tried to reach Moscow for explanations, but his calls went unanswered, Saqr stressed. “He [Assad] was set up; there’s no other explanation.”

To make matters worse, Assad found himself “unable to please any of his allies,” Saqr said.

Iran was allegedly furious as Assad, in panic, sought to strengthen ties with other Arab nations. Yet, Assad still hoped that Tehran would pressure Turkey to ease its support for Syrian rebels, Worthy News learned. However, Erdogan was apparently unwilling to retreat from the conflict.

The situation “became so dire” that Assad decided to deliver a speech on national television to unify the country, according to Saqr and other sources.

DANGEROUS ROLE

He said the speech was meant to warn against the country’s “potential division, highlight Turkey’s “dangerous role,” and call for “Arab solidarity” in the region.

The planned remarks would have ended with “a plea for Syrians to fight” for Assad. Saqr described it as a “nervous and tense” speech, vastly different from Assad’s usual demeanor.

In the end, Assad never delivered the 400-word address: He kept postponing it, and as rebels captured Homs and reports emerged of his own army laying down weapons, Assad “tore up” the speech and realized it was time for a grand escape.

Assad evaded detection, reportedly by switching planes during his flight. Rebels even discovered his unfinished meal, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Saqr noticed that “Assad fled via Damascus Airport” in an overcrowded private jet to a military base, where he hid for hours. He then flew with his family to Moscow, where they were, surprisingly, still welcomed.

Assad has now been granted asylum in Moscow, where he lives in what observers describe as “a golden cage” in a luxurious neighborhood with hundreds of millions of dollars he managed to take with him.

However, Russia has denied Turkish media reports suggesting Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of

Assad wants a divorce and to leave Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also rejected Turkish media reports suggesting that the former Syrian leader was confined to Moscow and had his property assets frozen.