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bashar at his father because it was a center of loyalists. >> now we can breathe much easier and we are hoping for better days. the regime was pressuring us. they refused to set us free. >> all nations should support in inclusive and transparent process and refrain from inrference and remain clear united states will support a future syrian government that results from this process. ♪ >> in syria, a new prime minister addresses his people. he has already set up a council of ministers but what sort of country will he be administering? we will ask the former u.s. ambassador to syria. tonight, 26-year-old luigi mangione is charged with the murder of u.s. health care executive. what do we know about him? why has he become this folk hero

on social media? and the biggest contract ever awarded in pro sport. who is juan soto and why are the new york mets paying him $765 million? a very good evening. israel says it has completely destroyed syria's naval fleet. it has been carrying out hundreds of strikes on military targets since bashar al-assad was ousted at the weekend. the foreign minister says there are defensive operations underway to protect israe's borders and to stop weapons falling into the hands of what it calls extremists. two of the other regional powers, qatar and turkey have called on israel to stop its attacks. . or concerns it could further destabilize the country. in the capital damascus, the banks and shops are reopening. there were cars on the streets today. are international editor sent to this report. >> at the border, the biggest and potentially deadliest divide

in syria. coming in from lebanon, syrians who fled the war and the assads desperate to get home. in the opposite direction, syrians desperate to get out families who fear they will be singled out for revenge. some because their religious sects supported the former regime or because the men carried guns for a bashar al-assad. a facebook post from the small militia swearing vengeance. is this such a threat that you want to take your family out to lebanon? you are worried about your lives. >> yes, sure. the kids, my wife. i am afraid for them. that is why i am taking them out to lebanon. >> violence consumed iraq and libya after their dictators.

they fear it is the same for syria. violence consumed iraq and libya>> not just about the legaf the war. it is about the legacy -- >> favorite of those the regime had made rich has rich has beend and destroyed. islamist anger and a decadent regime. taking more syrian land for what it calls a buffer zone. so far damascus is mostly calm what someone tried to burn down a mobile phone shop already looted from a chain named after bashar al-assad's bridge born wife. the family made billion from its control of telecoms and has millions of syria's starved.

the firemen have been talking to hds he said. they're going to cooperate with us. we don't know our destiny but god willing it will be good. next stop was a port district named after a notorious regime military unit. it was a stronghold of assad supporters until they lted the same night bashar did as a relieved and happy safa told me. >> woke up with the sound of gunfire and smoke. we sell the weapons and uniforms thrown away in the streets. >> she said the rebel fighters took the weapons and showed me the uniforms thrown onto the rubbish dump and into the dustbin of history like in the dictatorship. bashar al-assad. this area used to be full of posters of bashar and his father

because it was a center of loyalists from his own community. a lot of the guys that lived around here supported their families by carrying guns for the regime. they were in the security and the intelligence. or they were in the military. like him, they have gone. jeremy bowen, bbc news, damascus. >> i'm pleased to say we can join jeremy who his in damascus tonight. you spent many years traveling to damascus. not for a while it has to be said. how did it feel traveling around the city today? >> it was my first visit since 2018. that was when the old assad regime stopped giving us visas to report. we applied several times regularly. after that, we never got anywhere. they would know let us in. . i was here a lot during the height of the war between 2011,

2012 and 2018 and before that. one of the biggest changes i can see is the way people are prared to talk. we turned up at places. those firemen started chatting away happily. that would not have happened in the assad days. the woman who showed me the rubbish dump where they dumped the uniforms, super relaxed. she also told a tad story -- a sad story. where the demonstrations first began in 2011 and they had fled and were living in that part of damascus. uncomfortable for them because they were not al awaits. her father had disappeared in 2012. stopped at a roadblock, taken away. they looked at the prisoner names coming out of the released prisoners. they can't find his name. they are pretty sure he must have been killed on the spot.

you talk to people who tell you these stories almost casually about the terrible things they have suffered. they would never have spoken like that except for in private if they trusted you before hand. >> can we talk about the israeli strikes? they have taken out the syrian navy. reportedly 300 military sites have been hit over the last two or three days. is it vital to israel's security or are they taking advantage of the situation? >> they are certainly taking advantage of the situation because there is no real functioning government at the moment. there were not any forces to operate what was pretty sophisticated air defense units. they were all switched off and the israelis had been wary of those. it was an opportunity they had to do a lot of damage. they had been taking it. the israelis argue strongly it is about their security.

there is now an islamist lead administration it seems forming in damascus and they do not want it to get hold of the military infrastructure that was left when the actual personnel melted away. i think it goes deeper than that. benjamin netanyahu has said he wants to reshape the whole architecture, strategic architecture of the middle east. he wants to alter the balance of power in israel's favor. ever since -- because he would go on to say after the october 7 attacks last year, unless he does things like that, there is a risk that might happen again to israelis. so many civilians killed. they are using maximal force. they have come to the conclusion it works. they believe there is a military solution to their security problems in the middle east. most of the rest of the world does not agree with that.

the u.n. is horrified by what has been going on. there is a question here which is that the middle east, middle east ability the pens on having a stable syria. syria is right in the middle of everything. is this the best way to ensure a stable syria? because maybe the thing to do is to try to make sure there is an inclusive process here leading to a new government. a political process. and if the military pressure is coming nonstop, it generally militates against that. >> the mistake that was made in iraq was dismantling the state security. the process that unfolded after the invasion and the void as we know was filled with the militias in the tribal groups and the terrorists from the sunny triangle. how do they avoid a repeat of that? >> it is going to be difficult.

it is a bit different because in iraq after 2003, there was an occupying force, the americans assisted by allies including the british who were making the rules. making a lot of the rules as they went along and not very effectively. so yeah, it fueled the insurgency in iraq. in this particular place, i would say and many analysts would say what syrians -- what syria needs is the restoration of law and order. people argue perhaps a reformed syrian arab army which was the name of the official armed forces of the country could play a part in that. they would get rid of the corrupt officers. they would try to have a military force that if necessary could be used in internal security may be to crack down on jihadi groups. but now, thanks to what israel is doing again tonight, i think it is the third night of strikes.

if they try to set up a force like that, they will need a great deal of new equipment because it has all been destroyed. >> jeremy in damascus. thank you for that. let's cross to washington and speak to tom bateman who has been watching events at the state department. the big question is when or if and how the american administration would recognize the new power in damascus. >> they have had qte a bit to stay about that for the first time today. what we have had is a statement from antony blinken, the secretary of state and also a briefing from the state department spokesman. what the americans are basically saying is this. the u.s. will recognize and fully support a future syrian government so long as that government comes to power via a series of conditions and maintains the spe of those conditions whilst in power. they are talking about a government and a transition

process that has to be transparent and inclusive of the broad stripes of syria's sectarian and religious makeup. also that it respects the minorities in syria. . that is the governance part and how they think it should be a syrian lead process. they talk about strategic and security issues which i think are interesting from the u.s. perspective saying this must be a government that does not in their words run a country that hosts any kind of terrorist operation. that does not threaten its neighbors crucial. and also that any chemical and biological weapons stocks are destroyed or gotten rid of before. that government will be recognized what we have had is a list of conditions the americans have come up with dangling that in front of hts. they led the march on damascus and appears to be largely in control of most of the levers of

power. saying this is what you can get from us if you play by the rules that we and they are trying to this as well.tries on board with that we are setting out. >> that is a very good place to pick up with robert s ford who served as the u.s. ambassador of syria from 2011 to 2014. good to have you with us. there are limits to the cards washington can play at the moment because there are other countries especially turkiye who have more direct influence over what happens next. how does the biden administration influence what happens? >> you are absolutely right that the turks have a much closer relationship to most of the armed groups which have seized control of the mask is and aleppo and other -- of damascus and aleppo and other syrian cities. the most important thing washington can do now is to try to build channels for direct

communications with the syrian factions on the ground. the armed leadership. the armed group leaders and syrian political forces and encourage everyone to start talking to each other. i think there is a real risk of fighting between the american backed syrian kurdish ypg militia that has helped the americans against isis and one particular syrian armed faction backed by turkiye called the syrian national army. that is precisely the kind of scenario i would think washington aims to avoid. >> can we talk about the rather peculiar situation we are in because there is opportunity of course there is but there is also significant risk. it comes at a time of transition in washington. you have a biden administration that would like to complete the

legacy as he sees it in the middle east. put his thumbprint on it. you have an incoming president elect in donald trump who says it is not our fight. stay out of it. how does that complicate the americ response? >> it certainly does complicate the american response because for example, the biden administration as your correspondent was pointing out laid out a set of conditions. not at all clear the trump administration would feel obliged to maintain those condions. they might drop some and add new ones. it undermines to an extent the credibility of the biden administration but it would be a great service to the incoming trump administration if the biden administration updates its rolodex and list of contacts and starts establishing munication both ways with the key actors on

the ground. >> you identified the biggest concern and that is these camps in the northeast of the country in which they are holding these isis fighters and their families and there is a considerable number of them. the current support from the united states is crucial to that process. when donald trump says we should stay away it is not our fight, that might not be how syria's immediate neighbors view it and some very important allies. can he just walk away from it? >> donald trump himself really once little to do withyria during his first administration. he called it a land of quote desert and death. that was the quote. i am not sure he has spent a lot of time since his first administration trying to redefine how he views syria. but there are other people in his circle who are much more

concerned about counterterrorism issues for example and who view a particular syrian kurdish militia called the ypg as a key ally in the fight against isis in syria. others in the republican party close to donald trump are very concerned about iranian influence in syria. well the iranians have taken a huge hit, it is easy to imagine that through iraq they will be trying again to increase iranian influence in eastern syria. i am not sure where trump will come out on all of this. i think you would like to withdraw american forces but he will get some resistance from the career generals in the pentagon and at the state department. ani suspect even with his it -- within his own team they will be a variety of opinions. >> ambassador robert ford. good to talk to you.

thank you for your time. we will continue to talk about syria later in the program. we will take a short break. around the world and across the u.k., you are watching bbc news. ♪

welcome back. the men charged with the murder of a health-care executive in new york has appeared in court today in pennsylvania for in a tradition hearing. luigi mangione was here shouting and yelling as he arrived. he is contesting extradition. the judge has denied bail. following developments from new york. out bursts in court. what is he contesting and why would he not want to go back to new york? >> he is contesting that extradition and that is a key question. why is he contesting that? i have spoken to defense lawyers including jeffrey lichtman who

represented the drug lord el chapo and others in state courts as well as federal. he said for defense lawyers, typically you do want your client with you as soon as possible to start building a defense case. i think it is understood he will eventually be extradited to new york. he could have done that if he waved his right today. he could have been arriving here shortly. that could now take a couple weeks given luigi mangione is contesting it. so really interesting because we saw as you say an outburst in court were his lawyer actually told him to be quiet. i heard from jeffrey lichtman again. this defense lawyer i was speaking to that he thinks he may have a viable extreme emotional disturbance defense in new york which would help lower a charge of murder to manslaughter and would lead to a much lower sentence. that is going to be a key focus of his defense lawyers.

how to build their case moving forward. >> you have been talking to someone who knew him in hawaii in his past. what did you discover about him? >> we are building a bigger picture of luigi mangione. rj martin is the founder of surf break and it is a co-living space in hawaii where people come and interview for a space in that program. he said when he was interviewing luigi mangione, even then he brought up his back pain, his back issues. . he said it would often be the case he could not serve, he could not do activities in one instance for a week he was bedridden because of pain. but he also said he was someone he cooked with often, did yoga with, who was a very energetic kind individual. he was a very shocked to hear he is a suspect in this murder. he said it does not fit with the

person he knew and the whole community in hawaii that knew him are shocked. >> thank you for that. back with us on the program, a former u.s. secret service agent. we talked to him during the manhunt. good to have you back on the program. we sort of know now i guess part of the motive. it seems he had extensive surgery on his back. he was frustrated about that. what is confusing is he is not a man without means. his grandfather had owned a country club and a nursing home. he went to a private school and onto ivy league. what do you see in the background here? >> surprised he even applied for a public defender first. he filled out that application. from a understand he had a public defender where present him during the bill review as well as the other hearing that was held today. you know, this case is looking more and more like a young man

misguided trying to be like a robin hood figure. thinking he is saving the world when in fact it is a terrible waste of his life and a man he killed all for a difference of an opinion basically. i think we have to look at the possibility of some kind of psychosis that may have happened to him. . such a young aspiring young man has turned into what we see on television. i'm curious of this back pain issue. there are 70 things that come with back pain other than some of the injuries they are describing. we are starting to see reports this is intrusive of severe depression as well -- induces of severe oppression. back pain all the time. i am wondering if some of the medications he was on which may be a defense for him led him into having some kind of a mental breakdown and doing all of this. that would be very hard to do for his attorneys.

i'm sure that will be a strategy. the prosecution is going to simply say also he was able to plan and do all of this comment collectively and then try july to the police. it seems to be lying to the police when he was questioned. >> he still in his rucksack this part 3d printed weapon, the same false id. some kind of manifesto as to why he is doing what he has done. how does that directly -- the investigation? >> i think it is going to show he was quite capable of planning this all out. it is going to show he was in a capable state of mind. he went through all the troubles to do all this. he put a silencer on. i think it is going to hurt his defense as far as if this is just somebody in a psychosis and does not know what they are doing and went mad and did this. there are so many things he did

plan, did get right and with seems to be an intricate escape plan going through pennsylvania and what i believe may be full during himself down into maryland because he is right abe the milk -- the maryland border and going back to places he knows in maryland. >> couney stringer story and the reaction online to it's really fascinating. we are out of time thank you for your thoughts this evening. we'll take a short break. on the others we will take -- we will talk about the biggest contract in professional sport. and also the situation in france. they are still searching for a new prime minister. how far did they get today? . we will bring you the news today. stay with us. announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundaon.

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