In the final hours before his dramatic flight from Syria, Bashar al-Assad orchestrated an elaborate deception that left even his closest allies and family members in the dark about his escape plans, according to multiple sources familiar with the events.
Just hours before fleeing to Moscow, Assad gathered approximately 30 military and security chiefs at the defense ministry, assuring them that Russian military support was imminent and urging them to maintain their positions. The reality was starkly different – he had already been denied military assistance during his desperate November 28 visit to Moscow.
"Assad didn't even make a last stand. He didn't even rally his own troops," said Nadim Houri, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative. "He let his supporters face their own fate."
A Web of Deception
The extent of Assad's deception became clear through multiple accounts:
- He told his office manager he was heading home after work on Saturday, but went to the airport instead
- He summoned his media adviser, Buthaina Shaaban, to his residence to draft a speech, only for her to arrive at an empty house
- Even his brother Maher, commander of the elite 4th Armored Division, was kept in the dark and had to make his own escape to Iraq by helicopter
The consequences for those left behind were severe. His cousins, Ehab and Eyad Makhlouf, attempted to flee to Lebanon by car but were ambushed by rebels. Ehab was reportedly killed and Eyad wounded, though these reports couldn't be independently verified.
The Final Flight
Assad's escape in the early hours of Sunday, December 8, was carefully orchestrated. He flew from Damascus with his aircraft's transponder switched off, first to Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, then on to Moscow. His wife Asma and their three children were already waiting in the Russian capital.
The hasty nature of his departure became evident in videos posted by rebels who entered the presidential complex, showing meals left on the stove and personal belongings, including family photo albums, abandoned in place.
Failed Attempts to Save His Rule
Before his flight, Assad made several desperate attempts to maintain power:
- A November 28 visit to Moscow where his pleas for military intervention were rejected
- A December 2 meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, where Assad appeared visibly distressed
- An unsuccessful attempt to secure refuge in the United Arab Emirates, which feared international backlash
Diplomatic Maneuvering
Russia, while unwilling to provide military support, worked to ensure Assad's safe exit. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov coordinated with Turkey and Qatar to leverage their connections with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, securing safe passage for Assad despite HTS being designated as a terrorist organization by the US and UN.
Assad's last conversation with his prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, took place Saturday at 10:30 p.m. When Jalali described the chaos unfolding across Syria, Assad simply replied, "Tomorrow, we will see." By dawn the next day, he was gone, ending his family's 50-year rule over Syria and bringing the 13-year civil war to an abrupt conclusion.
Moscow has since granted Assad political asylum, while the Kremlin has shifted its focus to the conflict in Ukraine. "Russia had spent a lot of effort helping stabilize Syria in the past," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday, "but its priority now was the conflict in Ukraine."
Times of Israel contributed to this article.
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