Fleeing what might have been a far more gruesome fate, senior Syrian officials and members of former President Bashar Assad’s family have reportedly sought refuge in Beirut, cloaked under the protective umbrella of Hezbollah. According to Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan, the high-ranking defectors, including intelligence officers and business elites, are now holed up in luxury hotels across the Lebanese capital, with Hezbollah and Lebanese security forces ensuring their safety.
Attacks in Damascus
Among the notable figures is Ali Mamlouk, Assad’s former national security advisor and head of Syrian intelligence, who is no stranger to controversy. Convicted of terrorism by Lebanon for his alleged involvement in the bombing of two mosques in Tripoli, Mamlouk is said to be hiding in a five-star Beirut hotel. Meanwhile, Assad himself has reportedly fled to Russia, where he has been granted political asylum by President Vladimir Putin.
The Lebanese report delves into the shadowy logistics of this escape. Assad’s associates, including intelligence operatives and businessmen, began their exodus just days before Damascus fell to rebel forces. The operation, meticulously coordinated by Hezbollah and a senior Lebanese border official linked to Mamlouk, involved crossing the Syrian-Lebanese border through both legal and illicit routes. To avoid detection, Hezbollah operatives swapped Syrian license plates for Lebanese ones.
Notable among those who fled are Assad’s cousins, Mamlouk’s mother (who is married to Assad’s uncle), and Khaled Qaddour, a businessman with close ties to Assad’s brother, Maher. These individuals reportedly paid hefty bribes—amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars—to Lebanese security officials to secure their passage. Now, they remain under heavy Hezbollah protection in Beirut, with Lebanese security forces patrolling the perimeters of their hideouts.
While Assad’s inner circle retreats to Beirut, the dictator himself appears to have found sanctuary in Moscow. Russian officials confirmed his arrival in the capital along with his wife Asma and their three children—Hafez (24), Zein (22), and Karim (21). Yet, the Kremlin remains tight-lipped about his exact location. When asked about Assad’s presence in Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov tersely replied, “I have nothing to say on the matter,” adding that no meeting between Putin and Assad has been scheduled.
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The dictator’s flight to Russia raises significant questions about his future. Reports suggest that Assad and his wife possess a vast fortune, estimated at $2 billion, spread across offshore accounts, shell companies, tax havens, and global real estate ventures. This financial cushion likely ensures the family’s continued access to substantial funds, even as their political fortunes have clearly been decimated.
As Assad’s regime crumbled in the face of rebel forces, the fallout from this exodus underscores the intricate interplay of geopolitics in the region. While Beirut shelters key regime figures, Moscow offers Assad an escape route—a stark reminder of the shifting allegiances and power dynamics in the Syrian conflict. For now, the world watches as the Assad regime’s remnants scatter, leaving behind a legacy of destruction and uncertainty.