as the country's new president. hello. lam carl i am carl nasman. welcome to the programme. the extent of the human rights abuses committed by the regime of syria's ex—president, bashar al—assad — is becoming clearer, nearly a week after he was overthrown. the bbc has visited a military base, bombed earlier this week by israeli, which has revealed evidence of torture being carried out there. our middle east correspondent, lucy williamson, went to the base in damascus, and just to warn you her report contains details you may find distressing. the men who protected president assad have gone, the control room at mezzeh military air base scarred by the moment control slipped away, its abandoned assets now targets for israeli air strikes.

israel has been systematically destroying the military equipment left by the assad regime, worried about who might end up using it. russian—made aircraft, israeli bombs, militia backed by turkey, iran, the us — this was neverjust syria's war, and outside powers still have a stake here. assad's fall has meant unanswered questions about syria's future, but it's also left unanswered questions from the past. this airbase held a prison where detainees were reportedly tortured and raped by military intelligence. in one room, we were shown electric shock equipment for interrogations. the only thing more painful than finding your parent or child among the records here is not

finding them at all. in the building next door, we found the mother of kurdish prisoner mahmoud hussein searching for his face among the photos on the floor. "he was registered here, but we can't find him," she said. "may god burn assad's heart, the way he burned ours". "what are these documents?", this woman raged. "no—one is helping us. how can i find him among these prison files?" assad's regime was meticulous in documenting its brutality, but critical evidence here is being lost each day and the desperation of families is growing. in a cemetery outside damascus, we found khaled pulling out bags of bones from a shallow, unmarked grave, each one marked with a name and a prison number —

two women and a man. khaled was looking for his brothers, taken by airforce intelligence 11 years ago. translation: anyone who wasn't killed immediately was taken - to an area known as the driving school to be slaughtered. i expect this happened to my brothers. when i saw these bags, i thought my brothers might be inside them. syria is beginning a new chapter amid unfinished stories from its past. lucy williamson, bbc news, damascus. the us secretary of state anthony blinken says the united states has made direct contact with the rebel group hayat tahrir al—sham — or hts — one of the rebel groups which ousted president assad. the us considers hts a terrorist organisation. mr blinken met arab, western and turkish diplomats injordan about the transition to a new government in syria.

america and our partners have an important stake in helping syria chart this new path. we know that what happens inside syria can have powerful consequences well beyond its borders, from mass displacement to terrorism and we know that we can't underestimate the challenges of this moment. joining me live is aaron zelin, senior fellow at the washington institute for near east policy. secretary of state antony blinken said saturday that the us has made "direct contact" with hts rebels — what's your reaction to that? what you make of the fact there is a direct line of communication now? it is not that surprising as the us was to have a key role in this legislation. hts yesterday handed over an american handed over in one of these regimes to american soldiers based in eastern syria so it is possible that also could have opened up some communication as

well. �* , ., ., ., ,, ., well. but is it normal for the us to have a direct _ well. but is it normal for the us to have a direct line _ well. but is it normal for the us to have a direct line with _ well. but is it normal for the us to have a direct line with a _ well. but is it normal for the us to have a direct line with a group - well. but is it normal for the us to have a direct line with a group but| have a direct line with a group but it still does considered to be a terror organisation? hat terror organisation? not traditionally, _ terror organisation? iirrt traditionally, however, the syrian democratic forces that the us is working to fight against islamic state, members of that group have been affiliated with the pkk which is also a foreign terrorist organisation so it is awkward but because of the situation it is the reality. d0 because of the situation it is the reali . ,, because of the situation it is the reali . ., . ,, reality. do you anticipate the us ma be reality. do you anticipate the us may be making _ reality. do you anticipate the us may be making some _ reality. do you anticipate the us may be making some moves - reality. do you anticipate the us may be making some moves to | reality. do you anticipate the us i may be making some moves to try reality. do you anticipate the us - may be making some moves to try to take this group of that place? i don't think we will see anything in their real term but we will see any moves that hts might make. fighting isis, the chemical weapons, the foreign fighters that might be in its mix as well is working out that after this transition there is an inclusive government that women as well and not sectarian in nature. it is a wait—and—see approach but the

united states lay down the gauntlet on what they can happen if hts break these guidelines.— these guidelines. there is this list of guidelines— these guidelines. there is this list of guidelines that _ these guidelines. there is this list of guidelines that secretary - these guidelines. there is this list of guidelines that secretary blinkl of guidelines that secretary blink and was clear about in terms of what he wants to see from the syrian government. respecting minorities. —— secretary blinken. how will they do it in the future? fix, -- secretary blinken. how will they do it in the future?— do it in the future? a lot of it will be gesturing _ do it in the future? a lot of it will be gesturing or - do it in the future? a lot of it| will be gesturing or signalling do it in the future? a lot of it - will be gesturing or signalling from hts that is positive and the us does ascending it in creates an eight —— it creates a virtuous circle. hts giving the american journalist back to the us without trying to barter or do prisoner exchanges as we have seen with other adverse areas in the past like the taliban, for example, it is a good sign that they show we want to work with you. obviously there are a lot of complications and a lot of history behind this. this

is very much a president. when we are thinking about the future of syria and the syrian people itself it is important to understand they just suffered under years and years of totalitarianism —— 60 years. there are other players obviously in the region. turkeyjust nearby. how big of a role do you think that country will play given it did support the offence of which was led by hts? support the offence of which was led b hts? , , support the offence of which was led b hts? , y a, a, by hts? they definitely will have a role. so by hts? they definitely will have a role- so will— by hts? they definitely will have a role. so will other _ by hts? they definitely will have a role. so will other countries - by hts? they definitely will have a role. so will other countries as - role. so will other countries as well. one of the key things that happens today in the meeting in jordan is bringing together all of the allies so they will be one voice in dealing with these translation because if there are many different voices could create confusion or chaos in the backing of different people against one another as we maybe have seen in other contexts so this is an important first step from an international community's

perspective so that when discussing with hts and trying to shape things in a way that could be beneficial to all syrians, it is good to have one voice together.— voice together. how high do you think on the _ voice together. how high do you think on the agenda _ voice together. how high do you think on the agenda of- voice together. how high do you think on the agenda of the - voice together. how high do you think on the agenda of the us i voice together. how high do you i think on the agenda of the us and its partners is isis and the chances its partners is isis and the chances it could re—establish itself admits the chaos taking place there in syria? it the chaos taking place there in s ria? , , ., syria? it is definitely a continued issue. syria? it is definitely a continued issue- we've _ syria? it is definitely a continued issue. we've seen _ syria? it is definitely a continued issue. we've seen the _ syria? it is definitely a continued issue. we've seen the islamic. syria? it is definitely a continued i issue. we've seen the islamic state has had an uptick in the number of attacks this year compared to last year. it is of course nowhere near as much as we saw, you know, 5—10 years ago, but if anything destabilises in the east definitely could create a lot more problems because it is important to remember there continues to be 10,000 male isis prisoners held by the syrian democratic forces.— democratic forces. thank you as alwa s. democratic forces. thank you as always. thank _ democratic forces. thank you as always. thank you. _ south korea's president yoon suk yeol has vowed to fight for his politicalfuture — after parliament impeached him

over his short—lived attempt to impose martial law 11 days ago. president yoon says he will never give up — describing the impeachment vote — as a temporary pause in his presidency. early on saturday, crowds celebrated outside the national assembly as the impeachment motion passed. our correspondent, jean mckenzie, is in seoul and has this report. cheering. in a moment, a protest erupts into a street party, rejoicing the downfall of a president many have long despised. they'd accused him of being authoritarian, of eroding their democracy. but no one could have guessed what he had planned. when mr yoon stole from the playbook of south korea's past military dictators, dispatching troops to storm the parliament, he committed his final unforgivable act. the biting temperatures would have been enough to force many indoors.

but armed with glow sticks and hot packs, they descended here for the 11th day in a row, young women leading the charge. "he said martial law was for the people, but not one of his policies has helped us". as the vote to impeach mr yoon got under way, a solemn warning from parliament's speaker. translation: the weight l of your ballot is heavy today. it carries the weight of history, the weight of democracy. enough mps heeded his words. the motion passed by just four votes. cheering. the irony here tonight is that president yoon always said that he didn't care about being popular with people or with his party. he wanted to do things his own way, and he didn't mind who he upset. but people in south korea have shown him tonight that in a democracy, in their democracy,

you cannot act alone, however much you might try. the dictator president yoon has now disappeared. so happy! today's verdict doesn't mean the president is gone for good — for now, he's suspended. the courts will have the final say. and tonight, mr yoon has said he's determined to fight on. this is the biggest test korea's young democracy has ever faced — and it's passed. people's persistence has paid off — the politicians have listened and tonight, this is their victory. jean mckenzie, bbc news, seoul. joining me now isjean h lee, former ap seoul bureau chief and scholar at the east—west center.

a remarkable couple of weeks in south korea. impeachment motion passed by a number of votes.— impeachment motion passed by a number of votes. what happens next? the country is — number of votes. what happens next? the country is mired _ number of votes. what happens next? the country is mired in _ number of votes. what happens next? the country is mired in a _ number of votes. what happens next? the country is mired in a fierce - the country is mired in a fierce political battle but we are certainly seeing the power of the people put some pressure on this legislated from the ruling party so now it goes to the constitutional court. the constitutional court has six months to decide whether to uphold that decision or to reinstate president yoon. if they decide that president yoon. if they decide that president yoon. if they decide that president yoon has to go in south korea has two months to hold this snap election so this is a process that we could see happen fairly quickly in a matter of months. we could see it drag out for a longer period as well. we've seen this before. it is really unclear how long this will take. the last time we had this impeachment process it

was about three months, it took about three months for the constitutional court to hand down that decision. indie constitutional court to hand down that decision.— constitutional court to hand down that decision. ~ . , ., ., that decision. we had president yoon sa in: he is that decision. we had president yoon saying he is vowing _ that decision. we had president yoon saying he is vowing to _ that decision. we had president yoon saying he is vowing to fight _ that decision. we had president yoon saying he is vowing to fight for - that decision. we had president yoon saying he is vowing to fight for his - saying he is vowing to fight for his political future. saying he is vowing to fight for his politicalfuture. what saying he is vowing to fight for his political future. what do you think thatis political future. what do you think that is going to look like? does he have a chance actually of regaining any chance of power? i have a chance actually of regaining any chance of power?— any chance of power? i think it is important _ any chance of power? i think it is important to _ any chance of power? i think it is important to remember - any chance of power? i think it is important to remember that - any chance of power? i think it is| important to remember that this, any chance of power? i think it is - important to remember that this, as i said earlier, this is a fierce political battle between the ruling party and the opposition so he may believe that he has to hold onto power as long as he can to maintain some of the beliefs policies. it is starting to look like a 1—man, sort of a run starting to look like a 1—man, sort ofa run —— starting to look like a 1—man, sort of a run —— a 1—man rule, but he is also probably recognising that he doesn't want to cede to the power that the ruling party has through the opposition to quickly. that will be whiplash politically. so this is also about the party trying to find also about the party trying to find a way to salvage and try to make up for the damage of that martial law

so i think there is that too. it is very hard to see how he is going to be able to regain the trust of the people. i mean, his popularity has gone down to the single digits in terms of polls so it is going to be interesting to see he can come back interesting to see he can come back in favour. we will have to see how this process rules out but there is a lot more happening politically thatis a lot more happening politically that is about politics, between a really polarised ruling party, really polarised ruling party, really polarised ruling party, really polarised people feel between the ruling party in the opposition with a lot of factors at play. and i am watching four courses, and they stabilise this so there is there investor confidence in south korea, really important global economy so they can stand with the united states, with the strategic threats in the region so a lot at stake here when it comes to stability in south korea. , ., ., , , when it comes to stability in south korea. , ., , ., korea. yes, relationship that saw president biden _ korea. yes, relationship that saw president biden really _ korea. yes, relationship that saw president biden really put - korea. yes, relationship that saw president biden really put a - korea. yes, relationship that saw president biden really put a lot . korea. yes, relationship that saw| president biden really put a lot of time into in his presidency. i know you have done some coverage as well

of north korea. how do you think south korea's neighbours to the north are viewing all of this? filth. north are viewing all of this? 0h, robabl north are viewing all of this? 0h, probably - _ north are viewing all of this? 0h, probably - so. — north are viewing all of this? 0h, probably - so. we _ north are viewing all of this? i probably — so, we should north are viewing all of this? oi, probably — so, we should clarify north are viewing all of this? ©“i, probably — so, we should clarify it is probably only a certain number of people who are aware of the full details of the leader of north korea is mostly might —— most likely looking at this with glee. this is very much what he wanted, was to try to pressure the leadership of south korea. he is very conservative, the president of south korea, very hard 1410 00:15:30