Pentagon Chief: ‘everybody Expected’ Stiffer Resistance From Assad In Syria

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the international community was expecting Syrian President Bashar Assad to have a stronger response to the rebels that took control of Damascus over the weekend.

“I think the entire international community was surprised the opposition forces moved as quickly as they did,” Austin said Monday, highlighted by NewsNation. “Everybody expected to see a much more stiff resistance from Assad’s forces.”

The rebels’ victory early Sunday concluded their 10-day offensive, during which they seized government-controlled land and effectively ended the Assad family’s 50-year reign.

Reports indicated Assad fled the capital city of Damascus before opposition fighters entered.

It was confirmed later Sunday that Assad and his family had been granted asylum in Russia and arrived in Moscow.

Citizens took to the streets in celebration, and President Biden applauded Assad’s fall from power, calling it a “fundamental act of justice.”

However, Biden also cautioned the moment was full of “risk and uncertainty.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also welcomed the news of Assad’s fall, since he was a key ally of Iran and Hezbollah.

The United States launched airstrikes against ISIS camps in Syria on Sunday. The uprising has raised questions about what lies ahead for the country and region, but U.S. authorities say they will not allow ISIS to reconstitute.

Austin said the U.S. has been tracking ISIS there “for some time.”

“We’ve seen cells trying to strengthen and develop out in the Bidiya desert. Those strikes were focused on those cells,” Austin said of the military’s strikes.

“We conducted attacks on 75 targets with a number of different platforms,” he continued. “We’re still evaluating those results.”

He said the U.S. is “focused on ISIS” and has plans to “keep the pressure” and not allow them to resurface.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.