JERUSALEM, Israel – One of the Middle East's most brutal and long-lasting dictatorships, the Assad regime in Syria, has fallen.
Syria's streets were filled with jubilation as people celebrated the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. He and his father Hafez had ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than five decades.
President Joe Biden declared, “This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians."
Hadi al-Bahra of the Syrian Opposition Coalition asked, “This revolution, why did it happen? It happened to regain our legal, constitutional, and human rights."
Now-deposed leader Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow, having flown off to Russia with his family.
A nearly 14-year civil war was suddenly capped by a sprawling coalition of Islamic rebels racing across Syria in a two-week sprint to capture Damascus.
The main player is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS. Its leader began as a member of Syria's version of Al Qaeda and earned a $10 million bounty on his head from the U.S. for his terrorist activities.
“Some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses," President Biden stated.
Former CENTCOM Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie (Ret.) noted, "I'm not sure ultimately it's going to be good news for the people of Syria. We could have an Islamic State rise there, which will have profound negative implications across the region."
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WATCH: Fall of Syrian Regime Rocks Mideast - Israel Takes Action
However, many of the 30 factions of HTS have moderated over the years, and most of the rebel groups are pledging to protect all of Syria's religious and ethnic minorities.
Biden is wary. "They're saying the right things now. But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions," he said.
It's been a long civil war marked by Assad's commission of atrocities, such as allegations that he used chemical weapons against his own people.
Assad's major ally, Russia, also joined in, as its jets bombed Syrian civilians.
Iran and its chief proxy Hezbollah also took part in slaughtering rebels.
The notorious prisons where the Assad regime tortured and often murdered hundreds of thousands of dissidents have now mostly been emptied.
In this latest fight, Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah didn't come to Assad's rescue as in the past.
Moscow's attention is mostly on the war with Ukraine.
Some experts believe Israel had a major role to play in keeping Iran and Hezbollah from saving Assad. Israel Defense Forces eliminated Hezbollah's entire leadership earlier this year, and the Jewish nation has severely weakened the strength of the Iranian regime.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) noted, "When Israel had completely decimated Hezbollah, this left the door wide open."
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on social media, "Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy and the other because of Israel and its fighting success."
As for Syrian and Israeli relations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants them to be better.
He said Sunday, "We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria, to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians, and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel."
Netanyahu added, "If we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that's our desire."
Still, the IDF rushed to take over the buffer zone around a disputed area of the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers. pic.twitter.com/wVKyO3vKMb
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 8, 2024
Israelis are concerned about what would come next should Syria's liberation take some bad turns.
Netanyahu said Israel will do whatever is necessary to protect itself, "To ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel."
For Israel, a major benefit of the mostly Sunni rebels taking charge in Damascus is they'll likely stop Shi'ite Iran from using Syria as the main conduit for providing weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
General McKenzie explained, "The Iranians need Syria as a landbridge so that they can move equipment into Lebanon in order to threaten Israel – so they're going to be very concerned about that."
A major worry is that Iran has been so globally humiliated and weakened in the world's eyes that it may try to project strength by arming itself with nuclear weapons.
Some 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria. They're committed to countering the brutal terrorists of ISIS.
“We're clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum," President Biden stated.
Syrian Christians are not letting their guard down, but the Muslim rebels in this takeover have treated them well so far.
Nadine Maenza of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat told CBN News, "We haven't seen targeting of Christians, Yazidis, or even Christian converts or other religious minorities. They've actually announced safety for them."
Maenza added, "We're glad that they're not being targeted, but we also want them to be treated as equal citizens and be able to stay in Syria and have a safe future there."
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