WHERE IS BASHAR AL-ASSAD? Rumours swirl in Syria despite official denials

BBC ^ | Dec 7 | Sebastian Usher

[RandFan]

The mood in Damascus appears to be one of confusion and fear, with many people unable to find out exactly what is going on as rebel factions approach ever closer.

In several suburbs, symbols of the power of the Assad dynasty have been torn down or toppled.

The interior ministry says it's creating a ring of steel around the capital. But government forces have notably failed to provide any such defence in cities, towns and villages that have fallen to rebel factions across the country.

Rumours are swirling over the whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, with people logging flights in and out of Damascus to work out whether he might have left.

His office has denied all such reports, saying he's still at work in Damascus, but there has been no sign of him.

[RandFan]

He's outta there for sure...

[DIRTYSECRET]

Who cares?

What difference at this point...?

[Doc91678]

Some say he fled to Russia, others claim they saw Assad at the Kerry mansion in Massachusetts.

[Paladin2]

Working at your local Optical Center?

[Paladin2]

Where is Elvis working today?

[RandFan]

lol.... He’s qualified

[Nextrush]

I don’t know I’ve seen this spin published before Putin was on the ropes 100 times.

That having been said Mr. Assad may indeed be on his way to the exit ramp in the near future.

The propaganda is to help show him the door.

[xp38]

reminds me a bit of the collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban

[know.your.why]

Ques: Whats 6'2" tall, has long blond hair, red lipstick, and large breasts?

Ans: Bashar al-Assad.

[VeniVidiVici]

Where are the Russians?

[sauropod]

.

[Fungi]

The country is in a civil war, innocents are dying, many countries are being impacted and this is your response?

[MinorityRepublican]

Complete collapse of the Syrian military.

[ifinnegan]

One of the Putin freaks here said a few days ago that he was already in Moscow.

They’d know.

He probably ran away long ago.

[desertsolitaire]

He is a poster child for the medical condition known as mandibular retrognathia, or receding chin.

[FreedomPoster]

Not my circus, not my monkeys. Both sides hate us.

[drop 50 and fire for effect]

I find this turn of events interesting. The Russian intervention back in 2016 effectively saved Assad’s neck and solidified his control over the most important parts of Syria. But now, a comparatively small amount of pressure is cracking his regime like an egg.

What changed to cause his Army to collapse? They, with Iranian and Russian help, defeated larger scale attacks before, but now the house of cards is crumbling.

[Nextrush]

Well now Syria becomes like Libya became butchers and head choppers gone wild.

[know.your.why]

The country is in a civil war, innocents are dying, many countries are being impacted and this is your response?

I'm no expert on foreign affairs/current events but I think you're exaggerating a bit here. Assad was toppled with very little resistance. It appears to me that Israel cut the head off the Assad snake (Hezbollah) and gave the "rebels" their chance to toss dictator Assad from power. Good for them. How does this qualify as any definition of a civil war? Iran and Russia gtfo. Cool. How many innocents have died under Assad? And yeah, thats my response.

[MinorityRepublican]

It appears to me that Israel cut the head off the Assad snake (Hezbollah) and gave the "rebels" their chance to toss dictator Assad from power. Good for them.

Not a good thing.

Obviously, Israel had to go after Hezbollah.

But Assad needed Hezbollah to keep the crazies in check in Syria. Now it's going to be Taliban version 1.0 in Syria.