BREAKING: Biden promises US will ‘do whatever we can’ to stabilize Syria after Assad regime toppled

He promised that "The United States will do whatever we can to support them, including through humanitarian relief, to help restore Syria after the decades of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family."

"The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said. "It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country." He noted that it "is also a moment of risk and uncertainty," as the Islamist rebels overthrow of the Assad regime leaves "questions of what comes next." As for who may step into the leadership void, Biden said "We're clear tonight about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to re establish its capabilities and to create a safe haven. We will not let that happen." As for follow through on that, Biden said "just today, US forced conducted dozen of precision strikes, air strikes, within Syria, targeting ISIS camps and ISIS operatives."

Biden vowed that America will "work with our partners and stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risks."

"For years," Biden said before offering assurances of aid, "the main backers of Assad have been Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, but over the last week, their support collapsed, all three of them, because all three of them are far weaker today than they were when I took office."

Russia was preoccupied with its own war against Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022, and both Iran and Hezbollah have been tied up in their fight against Israel, which began when their ally, Palestinian terror group Hamas, invaded Israel and massacred civilians, beginning a war that continues to wage today. The US has backed Ukraine and to a lesser extent Israel with cash and weapons.

"All this made it possible for Iran and Hezbollah to continue to prop up—impossible, I should say—for them to prop up the Assad regime. Additionally, Russia's support for Assad also failed. That's because Ukraine, backed by American allies, has put up a wall of resistance against invading Russian forces inflicting massive damage on the Russian forces, and that has left Russia unable to protect its main ally in the Middle East.

"The upshot for all this," Biden went on, "is for the first time ever, neither Russia nor Iran or Hezbollah could defend this abhorrent regime in Syria. This is a direct result of the blows that Ukraine and Israel have delivered upon their own self defense with unflagging support of the United States, and over the past four years, my administration pursued a clear, principled policy towards Syria."

"Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said. He listed four actions that the US would take in Syria. The first is to support Syria's neighbors in the event that Syria's violence spills across their borders. Second, Biden said, the US "will help stability, ensure stability in eastern Syria" to protect personnel and US personnel against threats, including "securing detention facilities where ISIS fighters are being held. When taking over Syria, the rebels opened all the prisons and let everyone out."

Third, Biden said, "we will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward an independent, sovereign, and I might say it again, sovereign Syria with a new constitution, a new government that serves all Syrians. This process will be determined by the Syrian people themselves. The United States will do whatever we can to support them, including through humanitarian relief, to help restore Syria after a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family."

"Finally," Biden said, "we will remain vigilant." By this, he means the US will keep an eye on those within the rebels who come from terrorist groups. "Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses. We've taken note of statements by these rebel groups in recent days, and while they're saying the right things now, as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions, and we are mindful."

Biden also addressed the American Austin Tice, a journalist who was jailed by the Assad regime in Syria 12 yars ago, saying that the US is "committed to returning him to his family."