Syrian Prime Minister Agrees to Transfer Power to Rebels

(CLO) Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali said on Monday that he had agreed to hand over power to rebel groups, just a day after President Bashar al-Assad's government was overthrown and he fled to Russia.

The handover of power is imminent after nearly 14 years of civil war and the end of the Assad family's 50-year rule. Damascus came back to life on Monday, with traffic returning to the streets and people venturing out after a nighttime curfew, but most shops remained closed.

Oil prices rose more than 1% on Monday, partly on concerns that unrest in Syria, which is not a major oil producer, could add to regional instability.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali (left), rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Golani (third from left) and other key figures meet on December 9. Photo: Military Operation Command

Fighters from the countryside gathered around the capital, converging on central Umayyad Square. “We had a goal and a target and now we have achieved it. We want the state and the security forces to take responsibility,” said Firdous Omar, who said he had been fighting the Assad regime since 2011 and now wanted to resume his work as a farmer in Idlib province.

Prime Minister Jalali told Al Arabiya television that he had agreed to hand over power to the Salvation Government, an administration based in rebel-held territory in northwestern Syria.

Main rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, met overnight with Mr Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss a transitional government, according to sources close to the matter.

Golani has vowed to rebuild Syria. Al Jazeera reported that the Syrian transitional government will be led by Mohamed al-Bashir, head of the Salvation Government.

All eyes are now on the rebels to see how they will handle what is sure to be a very volatile and complicated situation in Syria. Regional governments including Iran on Monday quickly established new contacts with the rebels. Qatar has opened contact with HTS and plans to talk to Bashir on Tuesday.

Syria's future remains a question mark after the Assad family regime was overthrown. Photo: AFP

The Arab world is also worried about containing the militant Sunni Islamism that has metastasized into the sectarian violence of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

Highlighting the instability of Syria's political situation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken predicted on Monday that IS would try to reestablish its capabilities in the country during the transition.

But he said the US was determined not to let that happen, citing US air strikes on about 75 IS targets in central Syria on Sunday.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main rebel group, remains designated a terrorist organization by many countries and the United Nations. The group has spent years trying to soften its image to reassure foreign countries and domestic groups.

One of the last areas to fall to the rebels was the Mediterranean coast, the heartland of Mr. Assad’s Alawite sect and home to a Russian naval base. Two Alawite residents said the situation had been better than expected so far, with no apparent reprisals against Alawites.

Meanwhile, Russia said it was too early to know the future of its military bases in Syria. Russian news agencies reported that rebel leaders had guaranteed the safety of the bases.

Huy Hoang (according to AJ, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/thu-tuong-syria-dong-y-chuyen-giao-quyen-luc-moi-anh-mat-do-don-vao-quan-noi-day-post324865.html