Global reaction to the fall of Assad ranges from jubilation to alarm

People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Across the Middle East and beyond, the fall of Syria’s authoritarian government at the hands of jihadi militants set off waves of jubilation, trepidation and alarm.

Expatriate Syrians and many residents across the Middle East exulted at the overthrow of a leader who led his country through 14 years of civil strife that left half a million Syrians dead and displaced millions to countries around the world.