Fall of Syrian Dictator Assad

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday morning, a new day dawned in Syria. The world saw stunning images of liberty emerge in the world's oldest continuously inhabited capital city of Damascus.

Syria was freed from the 55-year-old regime of Bashar al-Assad, who had turned it into a dictatorship.

It was not totally clear who the rebel factions were that swarmed through the towns of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, and then the capital city.

As a result of the fall of Assad, the spiderweb of tyranny between Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China has been weakened.

Iran and Russia could no longer prop up their puppet. The days ahead for Syria are uncertain, but the Syrian people deserve a chance to rebuild a civil nation of their choosing after decades of turmoil. Hopefully, it will be a tolerant society, accepting of people from all religious confessions.

Under that dictatorship, over 500,000 people suffered horror and death at the hands of Assad. Others were held warrantlessly in captivity by this ruthless dictator. My hope is that the Syrian people may have the chance to write their own intelligent chapter in human history.

While the future of Syria remains uncertain, we should recognize this spirit of triumph. Millions who fled the scourge of war will have a chance to return home free of bombs.

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