Biden hails fall of Assad's regime in Syria, but has this warning for rebels with terror record

United States President Joe Biden on Sunday (Dec 8) hailed the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, calling the political upheaval a "fundamental act of justice."

He also said that Assad's fall was a moment of historic opportunity for the Syrian people to rebuild their country.

"After 13 years of civil war in Syria, more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Basher Assad, his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office and flee the country," Biden said.

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"At long last, the Assad regime has fallen, this regime brutalised and tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice, it's a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country," he added.

The US president further warned that Washington would remain vigilant that there is no emergence of any terror group.

"We will engage with all Syrian groups to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign Syria with a new constitution, a new government that serves all Syrians. This process will be determined by the Syrian people themselves and the United States will do whatever we can to support them including through humanitarian relief to help restore Syria after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family and finally, we will remain vigilant to 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 the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days and they're saying the right things now but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions," the US president said.

He also acknowledged that the latest development in the country brings along "uncertainty and risk", vowing that his country would work with its partners to aid into its smooth transition.

"It's also a moment of risk and uncertainty as we all turn to the question of what comes next. The United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risk," Biden said.

(With inputs from agencies)