she used to come close in a cruise. geo political conflict went oh you she was on the run starts december 18th on dw, the w. a news life from violence was things terry and presidents i sharla, sad the fines asylum in moscow. after playing the revel. takeover of damascus siri and celebrate the end of 50 years of oppressive assets. finally, gould inhaled what the rebels say is a new era for the country and many who fled the civil war and make the journey home crossing into syria from neighboring countries. millions have been, scott, it's across to keep levin on jordan for more than a decade. the

i'm so okay, welcome to the program. a rush was granted by shot outside a political, assign them as to the syrian leda flagged after his regime collapse. and the face of a lightning revel offensive the becomes less than 2 weeks ago. he's full of has prompted widespread celebrations across the country on among the syrian diaspora. after maybe 25 years under his rule, syrians and i told him that our attention to what rebel lee the say is a new era for that home. busha, a subs exit from syria, came quickly in the in looters picked through his boss palace just hours after he flayed to russia with his family, of begging the remains of his regime and celebration. fresh quote for their country comes the use of injustice insults, public water and electricity cuts. they thank god, after 50 years,

we were able to remove assaults, family, god willing, syria is moving towards democracy in the rebel forces who toppled aside. have received a heroes welcome and pots of damascus. civilians have joined with soldiers in wide spread celebrations. the man i haven't slipped little since yesterday. i came early in the morning to see the people and expressed joy on behalf of all the month as of the missing prisoners and masses. my brother was mine, such as all my friends and neighbors on us because the rebels have moved quickly to free thousands of people locked inside asides, notoriously brutal jails, newly released prisoners, asked bystanders in damascus. once it happened. still unaware of the regimes in mid celebrations of the assad full plenty of questions remain. don't what comes

next for syria? rebel lee the and format. i'll tell you, the member mohammed l galani is likely to play a key role. is rebel brute h t is, was instrumental in over throwing a sides regime on sunday, the leader addressed cheering crowds at domestic asses, historical, my, you'd mosque this victory. my brothers is a new history for the entire islamic nation. this victory, my brothers, is a new history for the region. the prime minister mohammed kazi al jealously has said he will assist with the peaceful transition of palate to a government chosen by the people. but who we have a lead theory is next chapter faces and the norm as task and unifying the country for now, many remain cautiously optimistic about the country's future. the

professor steve in high demand, holds the catch him shout in mid least that is at smith college in the united states. he's also a non resident senior fellow at the brookings institution center for middle east policy, and he joins us from washington. welcome to d. w. professor, you cautiously optimistic now that aside is gone. i am cautiously optimistic. it's been quite striking how smoothly the very early days of this transition have gone in in syria, a h t s and its partners. and the operation that over through our side are making all the right noises about responsiveness to the concerns of minorities. they're moving to maintain public order in damascus and other major cities. they have offered assurances to the other we, minority to christians, that they are safe, secure, and that their lives will not be interfered with during this transition. so from

everything we've seen, the, the 1st few days of what's happened since the fall of us. i have have been actually quite remarkable in how smoothly things have gone. and we've had the prime minister talking about a doing the transition to a government chosen by the people. so this will be the next tricky bit of this transition. do you think that that will actually happen as well? if we reach a point at which syrians are able to participate in choosing a new government through elections is likely to take some time before we get there . there are huge numbers of a huge number of issues that have to be dealt with well in advance of, of, of the possibility of holding elections. we need to imagine some form of interim governing authority emerging. there has to be a process of constitutional reform. they'll have to be some opportunity for syrians to become acquainted with what a democratic system looks like and how it operates for parties to form and all of

that and will take some time. so it's entirely possible that syrians will be able to participate in shaping the future government, but it's not something that i would look to as a very quick next step. it still does take a quick look at some of the potential repercussions of this move regional and father failed. and i'm, can we start when it's likely effect on iran, which helped to prop up the sides regime this? well, iran has suffered a number of fairly significant blows in, in the past 10 days, 2 weeks and, and even longer it's position has been severely weakened by the, the effect of, of his bolus conflict with israel. his ball that has been, has suffered significant losses. and no longer can, can play the kind of role that it had played for a long time is a leading ally of iran and

a principal deterrent against and is really attacked on the wrong. and now with the loss of syria, iranian regime has seen the loss of, of an allied that had been one of its principal partners and what, what is known as the resistance front. since the iranian revolution in 1979, it has lost the opportunity to move weapons to resupply his butler through syria. and it has really now found itself in a position in that, in which it's going to have to think very seriously about how it can reconstruct some kind of deterrent past year, given the losses and living on and the loss of the side regime. and how about israel, how is benjamin netanyahu as of right wing coalition, likely to view as sides removal by is list insurgence cautiously, i think and, and we've seen that in the early statements of, of nathan yahoo in response to the follow of us out in which he welcome to change

but pointed out that israel would be watching closely what happened on the ground. israel's principal strategic concern in syria for some years has been that his paula and iran would strengthen their position along israel's northern border in southern syria. and given the events of the past week, it now seems as if that threat has significantly receded. there is still some concern about how an emerging searing authority will conduct itself with regard to israel. but it does seem to me that israel's assessment is likely to be that it is now in a, in a most in a stronger position. but then it was a couple of weeks ago. that's very clear. thank you so much for allowing that to force professor at stephen, hide him from smith college, and the brookings institution will take

a look at some more repercussions of this story now is ready for us is have moved into id minutes, arrives the buffers done with syria, along to enjoy the control going on on israel says it's a necessary, i'm time for a mattress because of 50 year olds. truth ended when asked that soldiers left that post. israel amex the strategically important territory for decades ago. but most countries still, regardless as part of syria, a rush as cold, an emergency meeting of the un security council. as we discussed the events in damascus. the trembling, as had been, has been assumed to be certain regimes biggest factor in recent years and not face is a potential loss of came out of the train. naval base is in the middle east, across stuff, but serious embassy. moscow hoisted the opposition for the full of asset regime. how many syrian refugees in kentucky hoping they'll be able to return

home soon? you, as the refugee agency says to these registered around 3200000 savings. now a day after rep will cease control of damascus, serial refugees aligning off the border crossings into k, i k. and bob, i'll, how long will that correspond to? julia han is in the tickets for the town of keeler. so welcome here with you and what's happening then well, things are pretty calm now here at this turkish border crossing, given that it's so already later in the evening. but during the day, people were coming here lining up with their belongings, wanting to return back home to syria. now that the assad regime is gone, we've seen similar pictures from other photo crossings in the area. now i was able to speak to 2 young man who said their relatives, their friends, were about to cross. they have already taken been taken inside a building for the,

for a critique process. and they were going back to night to a serious 2nd largest city level. and the 2 young men also told me they want to do the same in about one or 2 months time. once they manage to sell some of their belongings here in turkey, they're cars, for example. they also ready and hopeful to go back to syria. now it's quite difficult to get hold of some reliable figures. how many people are we talking about? how mean many people do want to go back to syria right now? obviously, there are many emotions involved for people who want to see what's left of their old lives. their homes, people who have not seen the family members and friends in syria for so many years . many syrians here in turkey have been living here for more than a decade. there was an entire generation of syrian children who would phone here and who grew up here. but now there is hope and there was a sense that things are safer for people in syria. and that in the end is also good

news for the tuckers government to express an ad one has come under increasing pressure domestically to send back many of the 3000000 refugees from syria here in the country with the turkish economy. doing poorly with anti immigrants. sentiment on the rise, and now there was a situation where people are saying we want to go back voluntarily. so that is domestically for present ad one, a big win. and it's good for his popularity ratings and tell us more about turkeys role and this h t. s mad offensive. and what anchor has been saying about it? well, you have to know that the turkish government has long pushed for the ouster of bush, or i said they have long supported the opposition. the rebels called the syrian national army. are the rebels that have for this offensive a long side. the main is the midst minutes in group higher. so he got,

i've some still the took, his government says we haven't had anything to do with this offensive. but uh, analysts that i have been speaking with here in, in the last day say such a lightning operation could not have happened without at least a green light from on cra. and now that the a sub regime has full and the turkish government says it wants to see a smooth transition of power in syria. it wants to syrian people to the south side, their future on their own. but observers here also agree that now. now that aside is gone. turkey is one of the big regional windows here from us that's full of the turkish government, has gained a lot of leverage in syria and beyond. because now anyone who negotiates of a serious political future would have to bring on crow to the table and speak to on crow as well. but i think it's also fair to say that the turkish government,

like so many here, were probably quite surprised by the sheer speed of the offensive, and also the lack of a response by the assad regime and its main allies, iran and russia. and a brief for julia about what's next for these former refugee. so across the board of back into syria. well, i have been speaking with contacts in a level, the 2nd largest city, where many people from here are returning to and they say that there are many, many new commas arriving in the city more than ever in the last decade or so. apparently, the whole infrastructure situation is quite difficult or electricity cuts. there is no clean drinking water and a lot of problems with why fi and internet access and communication in general. but people tell me that the security situation is quite quite relax. people are going to the local markets and there is some sense of normalcy right now and i level,

okay, thank you. i, you do data because of all that you really hon. the toughest stadium. and without your up to date, i'll have little world leaders at the top of the as good the this as he is hungry for the future. so i'm saying in southwest china, 32000000 people live here. many of them are young and understand 3, and it's coming through making money, having fun with nice schools and some things stuff. december 13th on the w.