The Wire - December 8, 2024 - Priority

//The Wire//1500Z December 8, 2024////PRIORITY////BLUF: SYRIA FALLS. ASSAD WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN. ISRAEL INVADES SYRIA.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: The Syrian government completely collapsed overnight, following little fighting in the capitol of Damascus. The Syrian “rebels” now control all parts of the Syrian government and the leadership of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has ordered an unconditional surrender.During the fray, aircraft observers noted one military aircraft (an IL-76T) attempting to flee the country before being shot down by unknown forces. Initial rumors circulated that Assad and his family were onboard the aircraft, however this is impossible to confirm at this time. Other rumors suggest that Assad successfully fled the country some time ago, and that he and his family are in hiding.Immediately upon this news, Israel (which had been staging armor in the Golan Heights for several days), launched a ground invasion of Syria to secure a wide buffer zone and expand Israel’s territorial aspirations.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Even after nearly 15 years of war, the American people are still probably not ready to discuss what this war ended up really being about.More tactically, this somewhat perplexing and effortless fall of this ancient nation has an element of betrayal to it at present, as many of Assad’s deputies and military generals have not fled the country, and instead are in the process of carving out their part of the warlord kingdom for themselves.The fate of the hundreds of American soldiers stationed at the al-Tanf garrison in the eastern part of the country remains unknown. Also unknown are the fates of any Americans (who may have been working for NGO groups) who sought to depart the country, but could not do so due to the airport in Damascus being rapidly overrun.Analyst: S2A1//END REPORT//