Experts warn Syrian rebel victory poses ‘complex’ national security threat: ‘Who knows what’s next?’

Syria’s future remains unclear after Islamist rebels toppled the Assad regime, seized control of Damascus and drove the Syrian dictator from the country.

Foreign policy experts and officials alike responded to the news on Sunday, speculating about what might be in store for the Middle Eastern nation and the American forces stationed there.

“Who knows what’s next?” asked former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland.

McFarland joined “Fox & Friends Weekend” to discuss the turmoil. Like others, he suggested the change paints an uncertain picture.

NETANYAHU PRAISES ‘HISTORIC’ FALL OF BASHAR ASSAD IN SYRIA, SAYS ISRAEL IS ATTACKING HEZBOLLAH, IRAN

“[Bashar Assad] he was weak and incompetent, and he was supported in governing Syria by Iran and Russia, by Russian forces, by Russian weapons, somehow, by Iranian money, but now they are busy… Iran is busy because of what Israel did to Iran and -Hezbollah and Russia are busy because of Ukraine and the stagnant economy, so those two guys who supported Assad, right, they supported him as Assad. well,” he said.

“But [multiple] rebel groups came together, and saw a moment of opportunity, and moved into Syria… and President Trump is right when he says, ‘let it play. This is not our war.’ I’m just sorry we have 900 American troops in that country because who knows? Are they always on target? Can they be kidnapped? What will be their role? We don’t know.”

SYRIAN LEGISLATOR BASHAR ASSAD SAYS IN THE INTERVIEW AS ISLAMIC REBELS ARE CONQUERING THE COUNTRY.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also weighed in Sunday, offering a message of caution and concern.

“We have to understand there are no good guys in this. These rebels are linked to al-Qaeda. We know that Iran will lose its supply lines to Hezbollah. “We know that Russia is losing access to a warm climate port, and we need to make sure that we support Israel,” he said.

Dan Hoffman, a former CIA station chief, warned that the development poses a “very difficult” challenge to US national security that awaits the Trump administration when the president-elect takes office next month.

“The concern that I think we would have going forward is that there may not be any power here. We saw this in Iraq and Libya and the terrorists took advantage of that, and the concern that I think we have is that the terrorists may come in. Syria right now, they want to take advantage of that,” he explained.

“We also have a real challenge there because the state actors like Russia and Iran, who used to have relations with Syria. Remember, Russia has a naval base in Tartus. They will not be on the side of solving this problem with us. I have real challenges with them, so finding some kind of international agreement if we go forward with it it’s a big challenge.”

SYRIA ISLAMIC MUMBAI HOLD ASSAD, PUTIN, IRAN NOT WAITING FOR NEW INTERNAL LEADERS

President-elect Donald Trump also weighed in shortly after the news broke, writing on Truth Social.

“Assad is gone,” he wrote. “He fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, no longer cared to protect him. There was no reason for Russia to exist in the first place. They lost interest in Syria. Because of Ukraine, where almost 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead , in a war that should never have started, and that could go on forever.

“Russia and Iran are in a weak position right now, one because of Ukraine and the bad economy, the other because of Israel and its military success,” he continued. “Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. Ironically they have lost 400,000 soldiers, and many civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”

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