World
December 18, 2024 09:50
damascus - The escape of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad to Moscow was meticulously planned, ensuring his safety and comfort upon arrival in Russia.
Bashar Al-Assad is now safely sheltered in Moscow with his family, residing in modern skyscrapers where they own dozens of apartments, according to the Financial Times. The family resides in the City of Capitals complex, where the rich and famous of Russia live.
The Assads lack nothing, including money. Earlier revelations by The Times unveiled that the dictator had already flown his money: packed in airplanes full of dollars and euros. These banknotes are now in a Moscow bank.
A reconstruction of his escape by the Daily Mail reveals that every detail was meticulously prepared. Even his family members were unaware. Only the Russian secret service and the mastermind of the plan, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, were privy to all the steps. It was this service that raised the alarm when the rebels approached Damascus much faster than expected. Putin decided to act and gave the green light: his friend and ally Assad had to evacuate.
Phase 1 began in the early hours of December 8: the dictator boarded the family's private jet, the Ilyushin Il-76. Once the plane took off towards the Mediterranean Sea, it disappeared from all radar systems as the pilot had turned off the transponder.
As the aircraft flew towards Homs, it landed at the Russian military airbase Khmeimim. His wife and three adult children, born in England, were awaiting him there. The entire family was then put on a military plane, which anonymously flew back to Russia and landed in Moscow at a secret location.
Hours later, HTS rebels entered Damascus and seized the capital and the presidential palace. To their surprise, they found Assad's recently prepared meal, indicating the departure was still rushed. The rebels also acquired photo albums and other personal belongings. With the escape, a half-century of tyrannical rule in Syria came to an end.
In a somewhat defiant statement, Assad claimed he did not actually want to flee but was ultimately 'forced' by the Russians. He reconciled with the departure, only to continue fighting 'the terrorists' from Moscow.
The reconstruction indicates that even in the early hours of December 8, Assad believed he would win the battle. During a meeting with his security staff, he mentioned Russian assistance was on its way, and they could counterattack at any moment. His officials were reassured until the last moment that Putin would help them. He even told a secretary that he would go home from the office that morning.
That morning, Assad called his press secretary to come to his house to draft a speech. Upon the secretary's arrival, the president was already on the plane to freedom.
The last prime minister under Assad called the president on Saturday, revealing on Al Arabiya TV that he described the deteriorating situation due to the advancing rebels. However, Assad only replied, 'we'll see how it goes tomorrow.' When the prime minister called on Sunday, Assad, already in Moscow, did not pick up the call.