From book on Russian military to pills: What rebels found in Assad's palace

During their invasion of Bashar al-Assad's palace, Syrian rebel fighters made several discoveries, including luxury cars, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and an armoured truck

Following the capture of Damascus, Syrian rebel fighters stormed the presidential palace of former President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday. Inside the once-lavish palace, images emerged of Assad’s abandoned office. The desk cluttered with books and papers revealed an unsettling glimpse into the past days of the dictator’s rule. A book on the history of the Russian military, a map of northeastern Syria, and a biography of Assad himself lay strewn across the room. Strips of benzodiazepine anti-anxiety pills were also found, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. 

 

Inside the palace, one of the fighters sprayed a message on one of the walls cursing Assad’s late father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria for three decades. His second son, Bashar al-Assad, later took command, following in his father’s footsteps.

 

Bashar Al-Assad’s lifestyle

During their invasion of the stunning palace, rebels made several discoveries, including a collection of luxury cars in a massive garage — Ferraris, Audis, Porsches, and Mercedes, all reportedly belonging to Assad. The rebels uncovered a variety of other assets, ranging from SUVs and ATVs to motorcycles and an armoured truck. Videos that appeared on social media show the luxury lifestyle of Assad while millions of Syrians lived in poverty.

History of civil war in Syria

Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria since 1971. After he died in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad took over. But protests began against Assad’s regime during the Arab Spring in 2011 which brought down several dictators in the Middle East.

 

A member of the Alawite sect of Shia Islam, Assad was accused of oppressing Syria’s Sunni majority. Even when he opened up the economy after rising to power, the benefits were largely concentrated among the elite. This inequality, along with rising inflation and unemployment, sparked the initial wave of peaceful protests.

 

The brutal response of the regime soon escalated the protests into a civil war as different factions, each with its external supporters, vied to remove Assad from power.

 

The rebels seized control of areas in the northeast and northwest, but Assad remained strong over much of the country. With the support of Russia and Iran Assad’s forces successfully crushed the rebels in a 2015 offensive. 

 

End of Assad’s rule

Since 2020, the civil war has been in a stalemate. But in late November 2023, the rebel forces launched a year-long campaign against the dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad. 

 

On Tuesday, December 8, 2024, the rebel’s year-long campaign succeeded when opposition forces seized the capital, Damascus. In less than two weeks, a coalition of opposition fighters had systematically captured several cities, forcing Syrian government forces to surrender. That day, President Bashar al-Assad left the country, apparently ending his family’s five-decade rule.