Latest Developments in Syria; Guaranteeing Minority Rights and Suspending Ba'ath Party Activities

Mohammad al-Bashir, the head of the Syrian transitional government, promised on Wednesday, December 21, to guarantee the rights of minorities. At the same time, Julani, who led the opposition groups against Bashar al-Assad in the effort to overthrow the former president of Syria, stated on Wednesday that the Islamist coalition under his leadership will ensure the rights of religious minorities in Syria. He urged millions of Syrians who have been displaced due to the war to return to the country. He also announced in a statement to Reuters that his team is cooperating with international organizations to secure the safety of chemical weapons production sites in Syria. Julani emphasized the closure of the 'notorious prisons of Bashar al-Assad's regime' and asserted that the security apparatuses associated with the former regime will be dismantled. Concurrently, the Ba'ath Party of Syria, which had operated as the ruling party under the Assad family for decades, announced on Wednesday that it is suspending all its activities and actions until further notice. In an official statement, the party emphasized that it will hand over all its assets and weapons to Syrian state institutions, and all its properties will be under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice, with its revenues deposited into the Central Bank of Syria. Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, welcomed these developments in a press conference, stating, 'We welcome such guarantees, but we expect practical actions to be taken in accordance with these statements.' She referred to Julani's promise to cooperate with international organizations and ensure the security of potential chemical weapons sites in Syria, adding, 'Our goal is to prevent chemical weapons from falling into the wrong hands.' Robert Ford, the last U.S. ambassador to Syria, remarked on Julani's statements regarding international oversight of Syria's chemical weapons, saying, 'I'm not saying we should trust Julani, but we need to test him on this.' Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, announced that the organization fully supports a peaceful and inclusive transfer of power in Syria. Bashar al-Assad fled Syria following a swift attack by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group and its allies, ending five decades of Assad family rule. The Syrian people, both inside and outside the country, celebrated this fall after years of enduring repression and violence. The new leaders of Syria have committed to delivering justice for the victims of the Assad regime, emphasizing that those responsible for torture in prisons will not be pardoned and calling on other countries to extradite those involved in these crimes who have fled. A video of Ahmad Julani meeting with Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, the Prime Minister of the Assad government for the transfer of power, and the moment of Abu Muhammad Julani's arrival at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, has been circulated. The UN has called for an inclusive transfer of power in Syria, marking the end of the Assad family's rule; opposition forces have also seized Damascus. The advance of the opposition continues, with Iraq considering military intervention in Syria.