Syria's former prime minister, BASHAR AL-ASSAD agrees to hand over power to rebel forces

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 -Syria’s former prime minister, Bashar al-Assad, has agreed to hand over power to his rebel counterpart, the outgoing prime minister, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, told Al Arabiya TV, according to Reuters.

The leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) met with the Assad regime’s outgoing prime minister to discuss the transfer of power. A video shared by the rebels Monday shows the leader of HTS, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, and the HTS-linked Salvation Government’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir, meeting with Ghazi al-Jalali.

The rebels said the meeting was to “coordinate the transfer of power in a manner that ensures the provision of services to our people in Syria.”

 The meeting in Damascus comes after the outgoing prime minister pledged to cooperate with the rebels and endorse “a smooth and systematic transition of government functions” and preserve “state facilities,” in a message recorded after the rebels took Damascus.

 The incoming prime minister, al-Bashir, was previously the prime minister of the rebel-held Idlib area of northern Syria.

“The guys now have a very good experience, they started working from nothing. Keep in mind that Idlib is small with no resources, we were able to do a lot in the past,” HTS leader Jolani said in the video.
“You will see that they are experienced. They have a good success record dealing with certain issues at various capacities, that’s why we need to continue working with them and benefit from [their experiences],” added Jolani — whom the rebels referred to by his real name of Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Over the weekend, a video emerged of the rebels escorting Assad’s prime minister to a hotel in Damascus. The video showed him surrounded by armed men walking down some steps and entering a black SUV with another man.

Also, in another news, Israel said its military struck Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities Monday morning after former President Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia following a swift rebel offensive and the country said it ordered its military to establish a “security zone” inside Syrian territory. 

Meanwhile, the US military said it struck more than 75 ISIS targets in Syria to prevent the terrorist group from taking advantage of the situation in the country.Assad’s removal was met with jubilation by Syrians at home and abroad. In Damascus, rebels and civilians ransacked the former dictator’s palaces, with videos revealing Assad’s luxurious lifestyle and large car collection, including a Ferrari F50.