time when, as its allies were busy with their own conflicts elsewhere, but showed a said leave the country in ruins and millions of syrians wondering what's next for this ancient nation. now sorry, an opposition fight, as of announced on state television, that the rule of president bush aside has come to an end of the 13 years of civil war. come just out was off to fight as enter the capital and took over the cities applewood and the state to the building. there's no, as i said, aside have left the capital damascus. he was president of syria for 24 years and his family had been in pilot since the early 19 seventy's in the last haul file of the opposition voted cost the 1st statement to syrians on state tv. the, the, the city of damascus has been liberated the tyrant for sure. alyssa has been talking all the prisoners to be released from the prison of damascus. we wish that all our

fighters and citizens preserve and maintain the property of the state of syria. long live syria. well moments before opposition fight as to control of damascus airport, open source flight truck as opposed to a single plane in serious space and illusion. 76, across in flight number 3 and 9218 was the last flight to take off from damascus. first it for east bennett to north a few minutes late. it's signal disappeared. as it circled over pumps. that's what syria is. prime minister said his government's ready to handle the power to any leadership chosen by the people on a few minutes. you know, i do, i'm here at home. i am not leaving and i don't intend to leave. i expect in a peaceful manner to guarantee the continuity of the public authorities and the institutions and state apparatus and to guarantee the safety and security for all citizens. and we are extending our hands even to the opposition to extend their

hands and gave assurances. they will not cause any harm to any citizens who belong to the syria of ours. what i'll do here, as must mode of the law had, joins us live now from the rocky capital bank that must move. so how will the governments in iraq day where you are be viewing events as they unfold in syria? what impact does it like you to have that 1st politically as well as we have been hearing from iraqi officials that have the full of damascus, that they, that they said the site. clearly the come up to stand watching what is happening in cities. the biggest fee of the big as to what if it were you lucky also shows as that you stated, sit in some of the locations that they do not want any extremism or tourism, as they say to be exported or transfer via that border between city on iraq because as they say, they already paid heavy prize and the past, namely

a between 20142017. when as they say at the isom fights as well as smuggled across the border from a city a into iraq. and as they say at these fighters, the extreme is and that sense a bit of terrorism that goes to a rock, a heavy price. the paid a lot to because as you know, isolating rock but the is destroyed, a lot of human lives. and a lot of the countries resources. so that's the biggest fear. now, as we've heard from iraq, you questions yesterday the interior administrate up iraq said that at 200 to excuse me. 2750 cdns have arrived across the border into iraq. these includes that 2000, so go to so for so i'll put you on a regular so just with the vgm of a sudden i said they cross the border into your rock. would that a full equipment and be handed over the equipment to fit the lucky much forces?

now work is under way across the board. that was city of mainly around and crossing . told them that up to the town, the between syria and iraq, to set up tents and also to accommodate the uh, to the city and the soldiers and civilians. they also include government officials and, and, and civilians. now that he had an iraq at would just waiting to see what is the reaction from who, from the ely aligned a groups. those that they call themselves the stomach resistance because they had been engaged, they had been involved with in the world and syria. and also the have been a, in gauging in the world and, and in liberty. and i'm to this moment there is no, i'll put you on the statement from these groups probably would come in to come a few hours. all right, so actually it was about coming up. do i have live in the rocky capital bank that my food? thank you. indeed for the say,

let's bring it in different come robin. he's a professor of government at georgetown university in casa. it joins us live from dough. ha, i'm good to have you with us a mess around. so wow, i mean, let's just stop and draw breath fast. moving fast paced developments in syria fights is now in the capital damascus reports. but i thought himself has fled the capital, the regime is done. i'm still a lot of uncertainty though, but to just talk us through the rebel offensive, it's been extremely quick. how's it happened? doing so quickly to buy? you know, those are those who study them at least often talk about historic moments and we use that term a little too frequently. but it is in today is indeed a historic day when we see the role of the a sign this, the crumbled. what we have seen is a sheer, an utter exhaustion on the part of the syrian army, an absolute loss of will to fight on to resist anymore after 14 years of

civil war. kind of the melting away of the syria and political and military establishment. and the kind of renewed determination on the part of the rebels, the aid, of course, by turkey, and facilitated by the distraction of iran and russia. so in hindsight, it will make sense, but of course we're at the precipice of something quite historic and changes that are likely to reverberate across them, at least for yours to come from. just talk us through the calculations that the syrian president bus outside must have been making. i mean, no regular options open to him other than to free the country. that's right. yes, absolutely. the reason he's been able to hold on up until now, despite a serious threats to his rule, has been,

has been due to the fact that the syrian army has stuck with it. the syrian high command has supported him enough, syria and soldiers rank and file soldiers have stayed loyal to the regime for it to survive. but now that will has gone the will to fight the will to survive, has gone. and of course, uh there was no option for us that other than to flee the country. and what about, what about serious key allies? russia and iran? you know, we, we, we, so reports that ron's proxy has below, had pulled out their forces along the lebanese border. russia seems to be looking for a diplomatic offer on peer. they affect to be abandoned asset didn't, but they did, they did, and it appears that they also saw the writing on the wall and that continuing to support the syrian state under a side was a losing cause. and they had strong enough money, resources,

mine power into it. and so i think at some point, both intent wrong. and in moscow, a decision was made to cut their losses and to divert their attention elsewhere. what this means for a wrong the particular, if i may just say, is that the axis of resistance has no wizard. the way i me wrong is likely to resort to other probably more extreme means of deterrence. against is a monday nights it states a black one. so let's just stay with the us 1st set that, i mean, what's the us position here? because as we need the transition of power in washington dc, donald trump know he's already come up and said the us should not be involved in the survey and conflict as well. what we've seen is the author, paralysis of the bite and administration throughout the syria and crisis, and particularly in its waiting months and weeks. so the americans have not been a factor. there is a realization that uh donald trump is not in favor of us military

engagement in syria. i'm probably that accounts for president or the one of the turkey is the calculations to effect change on the ground in northern syria right now. so i think the impending presidential election and transition of power in the united states, it has been an important calculation in everyone's mind in relation to syria. all right, so in the front cover of a, the professor of government, georgia university here and council. how many funds for your time miss from? let's speak now to newer a day. she joins us live from job a border crossing between jordan and syria at noah. so events in syria and literally within days and in the last 12 hours or so. it's, i mean we haven't been able to draw breath so close to the significance of what's been happening in syria, the impact regionally, the arab countries looking in and also on a ron's region influence here of the it is

seismic no doubt the, the region is a completely different, it looks completely different and what has happened, the fall of the south is he will have implications across the region. this is the end of an era, certainly for the syrian people who have lived under the reign of one of the most vicious resumes in this region. not known for its thriving democracies, but certainly the sad that his email is known to have a rain of fear over its people. there are serious implications for the way the chessboard looked just yesterday. let's start with the allies of a sudden eat on. for example, hit on had serious an influence, not just over syria, but beyond syria and syria, was the con, do it the physical and political con, do it for that, that is now gone. and the sphere of influence of iran has shrunk back,

at least beyond the borders of syria, has below will be deeply impacted that supply of weapons and supports will no longer exist for his beloved. the palestinian factions that allied themselves with it on and with the side. the disease will also have serious implications. this is a serious blow to them. there are also implications of security for countries around syria. they'll be watching to see how the fall of the receive will basically develop what kind of syria is developing in the coming hours. the fact that the mascot was at and liberated if you will, from the perspective of the rebellion without bloodshed, is significant because it may indicate that something is in the work that doesn't involve civil war. and that will the loss of use for the error of governments. and

beyond that, there are also implications for israel. israel occupies syrian territory, the syrian goal on hide, it is digging a trends between the occupied syria and go along and the rest of syria. and there are reports that there were advances into syria and liberated syrian territories to israel, of course, talking and giving itself the unilateral rights to create a somewhat of a buffer zone in syria and territory. and so we'll wait and see how that develops as well. we'll israel bomb certain strategic weapons that the side of the game had in order for them not to be in the hands of the opposition, which is now in control of syria. this is a large country, a partner of trade and commerce across the region, but also a significant player. and now it will be important for all the regional players. so

she and the era governments that have partners and the opposition to be able to influence the days ahead and how the story develops. how will the opposition be able to bring back normal seats to syria to form a government to charter passed forward that doesn't involve arms, confrontation the way it, you know, the, the, the regime. so without a lot of blood shot, it certainly was not expected. and as you said, we haven't been able to draw a breath, i have to tell you that here at the border today is very different from yesterday we saw dozens of syria and zoar stuck here at the jordanian side of the border. we will dared not knowing what to think or how to feel, certainly still staring to talk to us about how they felt about the scenes that were emerging out of syria just 24 hours ago today. very different story. syrians

all smiles waiting to be let by cole, by the jordanian authorities who a fig gone to allow a trickle of syrian cars to fence or back into syria and get to their family. so very different on so many level 700000 syrian refugees just here in jordan will now be trying and waiting to see how they can get back home. yeah, we've been told me to some of those syrians, a jubilant at the prospect of going back home after the full of your salary, and that's all just there was no roads. a report in life was from job or a border crossing between jordan, i'm sorry, no, thank you. or less bringing zayna hold out. she joins us live from 11 on the serial board as i know. so for our viewers, who are just joining us here, and i'll just say about just update us with events which i'm told that open item the significance of what's been happening in syria, as i know well, no doubt. this is history in the making. it's in

a historic days the past 10 days since the rebels pushed outside their stronghold in the north west of the country and took over government territory once to see after another i left for how my homes and now they are in control of the syrian capital a damascus, what was the seat of power of president bashar assad? his whereabouts are not known, but this is really the end of his 24 year rule, not just his rule, but his father. he took over from his late father and the year 2000. so decades of the dynasty, people are excited, they are overwhelmed with joy. we met people here at the border crossing, waiting for the gates to open so that they can return to their homes. some of the people have been here for years. they escaped syria, they escaped the war, they escaped the persecution. some of them took part in the pro democracy demonstrations back in 2011, and they were separated from their families. some of them have told us how their

families members were either killed or sent to prison simply because they took to the streets to demand a new country at the will of last dignity justice. and here see the case of government run detention center is open for thousands of people were held without trial without charge, without due process for years. some of them even for decades simply for opposing opposing to receive in 2011. it was just on think about the seas of people take to the streets. we were there and we witnessed this. ours else is simply uttering a word against the government or the regime of president bashar and a set of before him, his father, half as an a said, a good good could send it to prison, they could be tortured. there was no rule of law in the sense that anyone could be arbitrarily detained by the security services. and this is what really drove people to the street for way in which the regime was governing the country. they wanted to

be treated equally. they wanted to be given, you know, a, a say in the future of their country. so now they feel that they're taking their country box and, you know, they, they, their, their concern. they know that a lot of uncertainties lie ahead. but right now it is about returning to their homes. it is about returning to their families who have been, they've been separated for such a long time. now that the front lines have changed. there's a new map, a in syria. so i'm saying that you were talking to some emotional serial is on the boat. i mean, of extraordinary video. we saw that. well, what are people saying about this, about the dramatic turn of events in syria? well people are in shock and then disability because you see they had a lot of hope over over recent years. but the opposition of failed to unites for

years. they were fragmented, whether the political opposition, whether the armed opposition and really the receipt was not as strong as the the receive was strong, simply because the opposition was weak and the officer shall repeat simply said this. and i remember that speaking to many of the commanders or, or officials in the opposition, they set that the regime is finished. we are fighting a rod, we are fighting russia. we're fighting has full law. and what we saw over the past 2 weeks is that in many ways, sorry, i said was left alone. whether or not his allies, for able or willing to help him. they did not, they were not able to mobilize their forces in order to launch accounts or offensive and to reverse the gains made by the rebels. each of them, of course, having their own resist special bog down in ukraine of iran, hezbollah, under attack by, by israel and severely weekend in syria. so pressure and i said really was left

with, with no choice. he was having a country that the, the, there was just no loyalty of. you saw how the army just crumbled in collapse. a lot of them were con, scripts, people who were forced to join the army. some of them were former rebels who reconciled with the government. so and, and i can tell you a lot of the young men and 11 on the refugees simply did not go back to syria because they didn't want to be forcefully conscripted into, into the army. they told us, time and time again, we don't want to fight our syrian brothers and we don't believe in the regime for people here. this is a new beginning, but i cannot tell you, speaking to people who were involved in the pro democracy movement, back in 2011. they tell me, you know, we're just filled with emotions. we didn't think that this day would come because the conflict was frozen for so many years. the government wrestling back territory and strategic territory around. so moscow says that the coastal heart plans and, and there was in the city and people have long felt abandoned by the international

communities that they didn't stand by them, give them the weapons that they needed in order to, to over throw the regime. so that's why they are in shop. they never felt that this they would come, but this day has come. and the serial opposition is calling on fellow syrians across the country to return to return to a free syria. they're opening up their, their outreaching, there's this outrage to all syrians trying to a laser fears, because this is a deeply divided society, a deeply divided nation on political lines, on sectarian lives. and a lot of old war and stuff need to be sealed, lots of atrocities that have been carried out by the different sides. so they're going to have to overcome all this in order to create a stable and secure syria. but what is clear is that's what this looks like is going to be an orderly transition process process. at least this is what the

indications are that this is going to be an orderly transition. and that's the rebels have some sort of applied on the day after. um, just the final thoughts. you say, no, i mean, so we've been talking about this all morning. so for the muskets was full and miss the end of the assad regime. how does this change the balance of power reason? yeah. and how much of a major blow is this to ron? of course, on its influence across the region. well yes, syria, the syrian government was an ally of the serial was an important space for iran to, for justice influence and power across the region that extend this authority across the region of recent years, whether it's a rock and then syria. and of course, here in lebanon, and recent weeks, we saw an incense bombing campaign carried out by these rated air force against has the law. they've killed hundreds. it's not the few 1000 men. they have leveled levels, areas, warehouse full of supporters live. they have uh,

taken out as well as military infrastructure, and they've also bombards and then as well as assets and running and assets and syria in recent weeks and recent months and the recent years. so this is a group that has been severely weakened and now with the change of the balance of power, of the serious it's elusive is logistical base. it loses the for the or the trans as the last 4 drawer between the head on it to base route. so don't go, this is a major blow for yvonne. we are seeing video of a people vandalizing the around the, an embassy since in the syrian capital. there was a lot of anger towards that. you run. i mean, yes, i said i was controlling searching for people square where not we could break were not to reconcile with the government. they were still opponents, but they, they said they were not able to to stand up to, to literacy. and there was a lot of anchor with the growing iranian influence in syria. so no doubt what is

happening in syria is not just, you know, it doesn't have effects only in syria, but across, across the region as well. all right, so i'll just say it was in a hold of that live for us from the serial 11 and for design a as a thank you very much. i, i want to just over week flights of cops at large pots of syria in and i'm president of offensive this of the map of controlling syria at 2200 gmc on saturday, the 7th of december. these areas in red, are controlled by government forces backed by iran and russia. the green narrative show temperature controlled by the opposition on group. hi, a tough for you. i'll show them on the turkish back syrian national. what on november 27th. and noticed a surprise offensive from it live, capturing serial 2nd largest city 11 and a 2300 gmc, the opposition announced it had complete control of the strategic city of homes known as the heart of syria's revolution dose as spits damascus away from the sad regime stronghold on the coast and over $300.00 gmc,

after the opposition had entered, damascus, it announced the end of a 24 year root of prussia asserting this spring and thomas found linda. he's a journalist and research i joined us now from i'm so them, let me start by asking you, i mean it's just extraordinary to half as thought you was turned down in the talk. yeah. that i mean that no more knowing the strongholds left in the country everywhere. people are rising up. give us your thoughts on of the events unfolding . yeah. it's exactly like you say, you know, like where a couple hours ago, um, as best south gwinnett pulse, 2 retreats towards that goes to area and sort of continue. and it's a searching in sort of a small, it's all about the region on site. a lot of sites, mediterranean ghost, it now seems that he's receiving this not controlled a single square kilometer over the country anymore. statues are being doubled in the attack. yeah. and there are no reports deposition forces of interest to go to the governor at all starters. also of nature's former strongholds of the previous

regime. and so there is not a single city or region around syria where as us, but still claim to be presidents at the moment. so we're not seeing the opposition forces, basically spreading through every corner of the country, taking every air fields, military base, government facilities. you can name it and, you know, basically raising their flag there. yeah. and that's, that's an interesting point. you make some us because you know, the presidential palace and surrounding facilities. i've also been taking a few points out. the 2 senses of power level now been over run. yes. and we now seem to of course, the presidential palace as you mentioned. but the interesting thing is, is that, and so far, most of the ministries and like other of the boards and government buildings have not yet been like, and breached or taken yet. and it seems that the, the, the prime minister of this, i'd government mohammed kazi, legitimately, and is still in office. and he's now about to leave it as

a single governments and their board sir, that's all july. he's the leader of h. yes. has to be struck, this is fighters and to not touch any government properties because there are no parts of the traditional government. so they're still very much a reluctance among abrasion fighters to answer a lot of these facilities. yeah, thomas, i mean, you know, significant moves around the military base is where the reports of the army thing out from strategic places like the airport. what we're seeing is the final symbolic kind of as rules being taken down. yeah. like, i think, you know, what else much consideration. we can now call him former presidents michelle upsets because he does not have any or power anymore around the country that we need to know where he is. he has not been seen in public. seems to revel offensive started over 10 days ago, and he's basically missing an extra and no one knows where he is. if he's even in syria or bras, there are even some rumors now that the plane from which he could have

a flats from damascus will shut down over the problems of phones. so, you know, the former president is nowhere to be seen and his army seems to have sort of nails as a way there are no more forces of the regime to speak of. and i'm just the final thoughts you thomas. and i mean, it is interesting because several different opposition groups and are running around the lives of guns and then what happens to then in terms of the security situation, give them a lot because you say of a standing army. well, like that's a major challenge. and ironically enough, the h t s. the group by july the seems to be the most structured folder and the forces about the basically happens. and since the regime collapsed over the past few days, was at the level of former rebels. and basically, rebels used to fight their shooting with rico south with us. that's a couple years ago this picks up their guns again, started delivering their own tiles and then start to march on to the next down. so

especially around damascus and the southern provinces of the way to anchor data. there is not a very chaotic situation where basically syrians are just carrying guns themselves and taken care of security themselves. but there is no uh, organized army with like a hierarchical structure. to take care of the situation there. all right, that's almost funding get really good to get your thoughts and you and obviously is . thank you very much indeed for talking to us from i'm so that well actually been reporting off the 13 years of civil war to syrian state. tommy says the president alice that has come to an end. i'll just say it was honda civic text on the back of the bush, auto sat. he is in power there was hope for political change in syria. one of a shot and a subs inherited power in 2000 after the death of his father help is. but apart from some economic reforms, he differed little from his father's 30 year tougher rule. the young as said, wasn't originally meant to take power. he was starting to become an eye doctor in

london when he was recalled after the death of his older brother best in parliament, had to lower the age for presidential candidates from 40 to 34 so that he could be eligible for office a decade later, he faced his 1st real challenge in march 2011, people took to the streets, demanding democracy. the president dismissed the rebellion and called little foreign conspiracy. as it was also the head of the only legal party in syria, the bat, and commander in chief of the armed forces. his response was a heavy crack down on protesters which brought even more syrians to the st. eventually triggering a civil war. as it did have some public support, particularly from the minority l. whites, a sect which his family as part of the syrian liter repeatedly dismissed his

opponents calling them terrorists. why bother? unless it won't fit in what you are facing is not a political problem. it's a conspiracy until it is in the political reform process, continues to move forwards, yet terrorism is not going down. as the war dragged on, it was the backing of allies russia and did on which provided political and military support that allowed a said to recapture territory and hold onto power shows. i p. c. o. for them. what is government was unable to redeem legitimacy in the eyes of much of the international community. in the shadow of war, he held the elections in government control territories that were dismissed by many as on democratic and dislike, never winning the war. he survived. but with a narrow support base and with only partial control of the country, the syrian liter.