Rebel fighters and civilians roamed the grounds of Bashar Assad's presidential palace on Tuesday, stepping over shredded posters of the ousted leader who fled to Russia days earlier, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Inside Assad's abandoned office, books, papers, and personal items lay scattered. Among them were a history of the Russian military, a map of northeastern Syria, a biography of Assad, and strips of benzodiazepine antianxiety pills. On a yellowed window overlooking Damascus, graffiti read, "God damn your soul, Hafez," a reference to Assad's late father, Hafez Assad, who ruled Syria for three decades before passing power to his son.
The palace, perched on a hill near Damascus, offered a stark view of the final days of a dictator whose brutal tactics – including torture, bombings, and chemical attacks – defined his efforts to crush a rebellion that erupted during the Arab Spring in 2011.
Demonstrators filled Umayyad Square in central Damascus, celebrating with rebel fighters brandishing rifles and waving the green, white, and black flag of the Syrian revolution. After years of civil war, Assad's regime collapsed in less than two weeks as allies Russia and Iran failed to halt the rebels' swift advance, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Rebels aligned with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group previously linked to al Qaeda, took control of several cities before entering Damascus on Sunday with little resistance.
On Tuesday, a rebel soldier, Mustafa Hassan, walked through the palace's entry hall with comrades. "The nightmare is over," said Hassan, a former history teacher from Raqqa who joined the 2011 protests and later took up arms. Imprisoned by the Islamic State during its occupation of Raqqa, he now envisions rebuilding Syria. "We're done with one battle, and we're beginning another: a battle of building and developing relations with other countries," he told The Wall Street Journal.
Designed by a Japanese architect and completed in 1990 during Hafez Assad's rule, the palace remains a relic of authoritarian architecture. Vast marble floors, cuboid halls, and underground bunkers showcase its dual purpose as a fortress and a symbol of power.
In an underground cabinet room beneath the palace, brass plates marked the seats of high-ranking officials. Assad's seat was labeled "The Commander in Chief." Adjacent to this meeting room were underground living quarters with a bedroom and accommodations for staff.
On Sunday, HTS fighters secured the palace after euphoric Syrians stormed it, removing furniture and artwork. Videos posted online showed people discovering a garage filled with luxury sports cars, including Aston Martins and a Lamborghini.
HTS has sought to maintain order during the transition, preserving government institutions and keeping some regime police in place, The Wall Street Journal reported. This effort underscores the group's attempts to project stability and legitimacy.
The fall of Assad's regime is a significant blow to Russia and Iran, his key allies. Russia's military intervention in 2015 had previously turned the tide in Assad's favor, while Iran used Syria as a conduit to support militias like Hezbollah. Now, with Russia preoccupied by its invasion of Ukraine and Iran reeling from Israeli military strikes, the rebel victory shifts the geopolitical landscape.
Israel has already acted, moving troops into a buffer zone near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and conducting airstrikes on Syrian assets. Meanwhile, Turkey has escalated operations against Kurdish groups it views as terrorists, complicating US relations in the region.
Abroad, a debate is emerging over how to handle HTS, which remains a US- and UN-designated terrorist organization. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani has claimed to renounce extremism and proposed a vision for protecting minorities under the group's rule. However, the Biden administration has refrained from engaging with HTS, while some Western diplomats suggest reassessing its designation.
In Damascus, celebratory gunfire mixed with distant explosions as signs of the regime's downfall appeared across the city. Military vehicles lay destroyed along the highway between Damascus and Beirut. Abandoned troop carriers and discarded uniforms on the streets symbolized the regime's rapid disintegration.
Across Syria, residents tore down statues of Hafez Assad and replaced the regime's red, black, and white flag with the rebel banner. Youssef al-Masri, a 54-year-old Islamic scholar, joined the celebrations in Umayyad Square. "There are no words in Arabic or in any language to express the joy that is in our hearts after the end of 45 years of repression," he told The Wall Street Journal. "Today, we breathe."
