this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2024
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BEIRUT (AP) — The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government Sunday brought to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power as his country fragmented amid a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers.

Assad’s downfall came as a stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. Only 34 years old, the Western-educated ophthalmologist was a rather geeky tech-savvy fan of computers with a gentle demeanor.

But when faced with protests against his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to the brutal tactics of his father in an attempt to crush them. As the uprising hemorrhaged into an outright civil war, he unleashed his military to blast opposition-held cities, with support from allies Iran and Russia.

International rights groups and prosecutors alleged widespread use of torture and extrajudicial executions in Syria’s government-run detention centers.

The Syrian war has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. As the uprising spiraled into a civil war, millions of Syrians fled across the borders into Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon and on to Europe.

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[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 70 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ironically, on Feb. 26, 20[1]1, two days after the fall of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to protesters and just before the wave of Arab Spring protests swept into Syria — in an email released by Wikileaks as part of a cache in 2012 — Assad e-mailed a joke he’d run across mocking the Egyptian leader’s stubborn refusal to step down.

“NEW WORD ADDED TO DICTIONARY: Mubarak (verb): To stick something, or to glue something. ... Mubarak (adjective): slow to learn or understand,” it read.

This is going to be a strange little footnote in history.

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 44 points 2 weeks ago

When the shitposter posts shit for long enough, they become the shitpost.

[–] Aralakh@lemmy.ca 42 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Good. What a piece of shit he was.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 19 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

But he had support from such upstanding groups as Hezbollah, the Iranians, and the Russians!

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 35 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

US backed Sisi in Egypt isnt better. Western backed factions in Libya arent better. Saudi Arabia isnt better, Iran isnt better.

Who outside forces align with for their interests isnt a reflection of whether a leader is a tyrant or not. It is just bullshit peddled to pretend the tyrants supported by "our side" are somehow less tyrannical because they give us cheap ressources and allow their countries to be used as military staging areas.

Down with all the tyrants and power to the people!

[–] J4g2F@lemmy.ml 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And he now being replaced by a group with ties to al Qaida, isis and Saudi Arabia. Of course being assholes themselves. They try really hard rebranding in name, not Ideas. Asad is bad, the people trying to get in power now are not better.

[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

They try really hard rebranding in name, not Ideas. Asad is bad, the people trying to get in power now are not better.

Do you have any specifics on this? Reports, analysis with reference to facts and data. Something along the lines of this article:

How Syria’s ‘Diversity-Friendly’ Jihadists Plan on Building a State

Not saying you are wrong, HTS and the rebels may well fracture. I guess we'll find out.

[–] J4g2F@lemmy.ml 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

First of all a link to a pro-Israël think tank is of no use for any discussion. Think-tanks in general are bad. Wikipedia washington institute

On DuckDuckGo the second link is to the BBC on how the hack are hts and the current situation of you search for it. No think tank slop needed. BBC article

To be honest they only want a "fundamentalist Islamic rule" state. Totally not a problem of course

[–] PixelatedSaturn@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

There is not just one group and they all have their own shtick. I bet the Kurds will want theirs, one group is backed by Turkey, they have their own agenda, then there rate the real islamists... There is 0 chance this just becomes a normal country somehow.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

The Washington Institute? Really?

Did you even bother to look up who they are?

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

He was, and we can feel good about his leaving for about 5 seconds. The immediate question is who will replace him. The rebels who ousted him have controlled parts of Syria for some time during this long civil conflict, and in those areas they have instituted Islamic law. Women have not had to cover themselves in Syria before. Now they will. We’re probably looking at something very much like what happened to Iran, just with Sunnis instead of Shias.

[–] cyd@lemmy.world 39 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Assad should try declaring martial law. That's a good trick.

[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

Promising to implement tariffs on everyone seems to be a good way to win folks over as well

[–] Maultasche@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

The rumour is that he tried another good trick: spinning

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Or invade a neighbour country.

[–] Stamau123@lemmy.world 27 points 2 weeks ago

Hope those 14 years of boozing it up in Damascus was worth the crater you're buried in, jackass

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I guess he'll have to fall back on his opthalmology career.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Well, he didn't see that coming so is he any good at it?

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

He could go the Rand Paul route and make up his own certification board.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Glad he's gone.

I hope whatever follows won't be worse.

To get rid of a massive cunt you need an even bigger cunt

[–] adoxographer@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Lose a shithead dictator, gain another Islamic theocracy.

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Cycle of revolutions...

😓

[–] adoxographer@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

It’s the same story as with the Arab spring, we all thought it was going to be different. This is just from awful to worse I’m afraid.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

People also forget that the French Revolution ended up with Napoleon becoming emperor.

A lot of people want a king to tell them what to do.

[–] adoxographer@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Yes. Reality is often a worsening of conditions rather the opposite, this has been the norm.

It’s unfortunate.

On one hand we do have to “applaud” a brutal dictator being deposed, which as an isolated fact is good. On the other hand, what will follow will be much worse, which is bad.

[–] ricdeh@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago

More like from bad-okayish to absolutely terrible.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And here's the perfect clip to celebrate the downfall of that murderous, mum-fearing asshole

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] small44@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I told you few days ago, we are slowly getting infiltrated by zionists.

[–] shaserlark@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago

They’ve been trying ever since. So far we’ve been holding up and I hope the mods keep having an eye on it. Wouldn’t want this place to become like Reddit.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago

This are t Zionists. They are ignorant people that keep defending the rebels and saying it’s Israel’s fault.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Assad never seemed like a good guy, but can you imagine what the reality of the situation actually is with every major and some minor powers shit-fucking with the country? You couldn't have a scorecard long enough to keep track of what's happened there over the last 50 years.

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

putin better take some notes...

Sudden loss of country power...check

Run like a mad man...

Hide in a desperate move to stay alive

You choice:

Bunker busting ammo

Heli raid

Simple moldy hole discovered accidentally

Your choice:

Smitherines

Countable pieces

Cheese-like speed holes

Burial at sea

Real hung, but not the good kind