President Joe Biden spoke Sunday on the collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad, calling the moment a "fundamental act of justice" after more than two decades of oppression.
"After 13 years of civil war in Syria and more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office and flee the country," Biden said. "We're not sure where he is but there's word that he's in Moscow. At long last the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria."
RELATED STORY | The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty
President Biden, speaking from the White House just hours after rebels overthrew the Syrian government and Assad fled the country, said while the news is positive for the Middle East, warned that it marks "a moment of risk and uncertainty."
"As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risks," he said. "You know, for years, the main backers of Assad have been Iran, Hezbollah and Russia. But over the last week their support collapsed — all three of them. Because all three of them are far weaker today than they were when I took office."
RELATED STORY | Family of kidnapped American reporter still believes he is alive in Syria
Meanwhile, President Biden also spoke on Austin Tice, a former U.S. Marine and freelance journalist who disappeared in August 2012 while covering the Syrian civil war. Tice's family believes he is still alive in Syria, and President Biden said his administration will continue to work to locate him and bring him home.
"We believe he's alive. We think we can get him back. But we have no direct evidence of that yet and Assad should be held accountable," he said. "... We want to get him out."
