- Middle East latest: Assad says he wanted to stay in Syria but Russia evacuated him The Associated Press
- First public comments attributed to Assad claim he never planned to leave Syria NPR
- Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad issues his first statement since leaving the country NBC News
- Assad paints himself as ‘custodian’ to Syria as picture unfolds on collapse of Damascus Fox News
- Syria’s Assad Defends Fleeing to Russia as His Regime Collapsed The Wall Street Journal