Statement on the Overthrow of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad

In response to the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Center for International Policy President and CEO Nancy Okail issued the following statement:

“Today belongs to the people of Syria. The astonishing speed at which the Assad regime has crumbled exposes once again the inherent fragility of seemingly ironclad dictatorships, and of all governments whose rule is based on repression and corruption. 

“The regime’s fast disintegration shows how autocracy, resistance to political transitions, and gross atrocities and the lack of accountability for committing them ultimately doomed Assad’s brutal rule. Ritualistic elections cannot replace legitimacy, which remains crucial for stability.

“True sovereignty cannot be attained under the influence of foreign powers that exploit nations as arenas for their own geopolitical competition. While Syria’s future is for its people to determine, the United States and its partners should take immediate steps to facilitate delivery of humanitarian and reconstruction aid, and help ensure that future is free and democratic, and the rights of all of its communities are protected.”

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