Kamel Saqr, Director of the Political and Media Office of the former Syrian Presidency, spoke about the last hours of Bashar al-Assad before the fall of the regime on December 8, and the presidential speech that did not reach the public’s ears.
Saqr said in a “podcast” on one of the platforms that Bashar al-Assad attempted to deliver a televised speech, and he initially wanted to deliver a loud speech after the fall of Aleppo.
Saqr added: “Al-Assad contacted his media office to write a text of about 400 words that included accusing Turkey of occupation, criticizing the Arab countries for abandoning Syria, and threatening to divide the country if foreign intervention continued.”
He continued: “Preparations were made for this on Thursday, then it was postponed to Friday and then to Saturday, and in the end Assad canceled it completely as the battles intensified around Homs and the Damascus countryside.” Saqr added that he saw in the text of the speech that he reviewed very tense language that does not fit the scale of the current crisis, and ignores realistic demands such as withdrawing from power or making a settlement.
He revealed his attempt to inform Assad that the speech did not change anything, but no one dared to suggest an explicit step down.
Saqr confirmed that a close staff member informed him at 02:15 that the president had just left. Saqr said: “Al-Assad left with the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, the Secretary-General of the Presidency, and his personal attendant, and I do not know for certain whether his brother Maher had prior knowledge of this or not.”
Saqr, director of the political and media office of the former Syrian presidency, also confirmed that Bashar al-Assad “seemed detached from reality during the last weeks before the fall of the regime, and he was not worried even for a moment.”
He continued, “Al-Assad seemed detached from reality and was content with subjective interpretations of the situation, and he rejected any opposing opinion that presented a realistic vision of the situation in Syria.” Saqr considered that Assad “did not even want to go into battle.”
Saqr believed that “Al-Assad went through a stage of denial until the moment when he felt completely isolated and discovered that Iran and others had withdrawn from supporting him.”
Regarding Assad’s wife, Asmaa, Saqr confirmed that she “possessed great influence in economic, social, and administrative affairs, and sometimes in the military and moral field, through formal humanitarian initiatives.”
He added: “She was referred to as having a very strong personality and having a direct influence on Bashar al-Assad’s decisions on many files.”
Regarding her dispute with Rami Makhlouf, Bashar al-Assad’s cousin, Saqr confirmed that the dispute was real, with talk of direct pressure exerted by Asma al-Assad to withdraw financial control from Rami Makhlouf.
He continued: “The state confiscated Makhlouf’s money under the pretext of tax evasion, and he declared that his wealth had been usurped. It was said that this step was part of a plan to strengthen the wife’s influence within the presidential financial circle.”
Regarding her illness with cancer, the guest revealed that she announced that she had cancer, and the media office was tasked with promoting the news and publishing it as presidential news to gain public sympathy.
He stressed that the media office had not seen any reliable medical report, but the story talked about her suffering from breast cancer and then leukemia, and that her television appearance “was intended to mobilize popular sympathy in a country whose people are known for their high affection.”
Last updated: January 5, 2025 – 18:12
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