Assad’s former aide says ex-president was “tricked” by Putin
Syria former media chief and leading aide to Bashar al-Assad said that Russian President, Vladimir Putin might have “tricked” the former Syrian president during his final days in leadership, Middle East Eye reported on January 7th.
In conversation with Mazeej Studios, a podcast created by Saudi channel Al Arabiya, Kamel Saqr said that Assad was in Moscow during late November, just over a week until Syrian rebels had captured Damascus.
Saqr said the rebels had captured a large proportion of Allepo by the time Assad met Putin on November 29th.
During the visit, Saqr and Assad asked for Putin’s support in helping Iran with the transportation of equipment and assistance to build-up his governments positions against the opposition.
Saqr said: “Bashar al-Assad’s request to Putin was for him to personally handle the secure aerial transportation necessary to deliver military aid to support or stop the advance of the Syrian opposition.”
The request was issued as Iran reduced its forces and militia’s operations in Syria, and Hezbollah experiences heavy blows during its battles against Israel in Lebanon.
Saqr believes that Russia and Iran did not want to heavily get involved in this battle, but Assad informed him that Putin had told his chief of staff to be ready to aid any transport needed for Iran at Russia’s Hmeimim base in Latakia.
Saqr told Mazeej: “But what happened was that the Iranians told Bashar al-Assad, ‘we did not receive any signals to proceed with moving Iranian aircraft to the Hmeimim base [or to] fly through Iraqi airspace to land at the base.’”
“The question was relayed to Moscow, but no answer came.”
When Saqr is asked whether this was a “trick by Putin”, Saqr said there was “no other explanation.”
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According to Saqr, the Iranians told Assad they sent a plane regardless through Iraq, but were told by the US that the plane would be shot down if it continued to travel.
Saqr said Assad returned to Damascus a week before his fall from power and that Turkey told Iran that the time for mediation is over.
In recent years, Assad refused to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on more than one occasion.
Saqr said Putin did not answer any of Assad’s calls between the Tuesday and the Thursday before his fall from power and that although Assad planned a 400-word speech to discuss the situation, Assad ultimately decided not to speak to the public.
When rebel forces were near Damascus, Assad spoke to his media office for the final time on December 7th, concerning a military meeting at the Hmeimim base with him and the Russians.
Saqr believes that Assad left “from Damascus airport via a private plane, taking the southern bypass road and then the airport road to reach the airport”.
Saqr added: “My information suggests that he stayed at the base for several hours until the plane was secured, prepared, and its takeoff and flight to Moscow were ensured.”
Assad is reportedly receiving asylum in Moscow.
Syrian opposition groups said on December 8th that they have ended Assad’s 24-year rule, according to Reuters.
Middle East Eye, Reuters
