'Stepping down was not an option, departure unplanned': Al-Assad
Ousted Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, releases a statement clarifying the events leading up to his departure from Syria to Moscow as the regime collapsed. | Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad broke his silence following the collapse of his regime on December 8, releasing a statement detailing his account of the events that unfolded in Syria earlier in December. ● Al-Assad's statement sought to clarify the events leading up to his departure from Syria as armed groups swept the nation amid the collapse of all army positions, leading up to Damascus, and the irrevocable fall of state institutions and their effectiveness. ● Based on the ousted president's statement, which saw a delay in release in light of a communications blackout for security reasons, addressed the circumstances of his departure for Moscow, asserting that it was not previously planned nor was it - alongside seeking refuge abroad - an option presented by him or his entourage. ● It was not until Sunday, December 8, that he left Damascus for Lattakia, to visit a Russian military base to "oversee combat operations." However, the president recalls that it soon became clear that all forces had withdrawn, leaving the final defense line unprotected, while armed groups were simultaneously drone-striking the Hmeimim airbase, prompting Moscow to order an immediate evacuation the same day.