i don't deny that at all. >> former mi-6 boss john sawers talking to trevor phillips early on. tt. >> we have to focus on syria. it is the biggest story in town. a huge change as john sawers was alluding to there. he seems quite optimistic. i want to pick up on one thing he said to you, he said there is a new reality in syria. it is also new reality on the global stage, which inevitably means the prime minister, our government, are involved in this in some way, in terms of discussions with our global partners. >> well, of course. a concrete reality is that prime ministers off to the middle east this week, he's going to the uae tonight, i think, and he will no doubt be plunged straight into conversations with our partners and others out there about what this means. because though i think first reaction, of course, has been, if you like, ebullience on the streets and so on, there is already creeping in a note of concern. are we going from frying pan into fire? nobody quite knows exactly what hts, what his people are going to be like with the awful warning i think john sawers menti

you're watching "sunday morning with trevor phillips." significant breaking news from the middle east where syrian rebels say they captured the capital damascus. and ousted the assad regime. now the former president is reported to have fled the country. deputy prime minister told this program that she welcomes the fall of assad and said the situation was very serious and called for a political resolution. i'll talk now to the former head of mi-6, john soares. good morning, john. >> good morning, trevor. >> first of all, how much of a surprise do you think this was to us, particularly our intelligence services? >> i think it was a surprise to ever, trevor. probably came as a surprise to the group you're calling hts which was the main rebel group involved in this march on damascus. i don't think they expected to go so far so fast. i think we're surprised how the regime forces have completely collapsed even those most lyle loyal to the regime and closest to the regime. it is a surprise. not a failure of intelligence. it is a surprise to ever

next it is sunday morning with trevor phillips. he will speak to deputy minister angelo to get reaction to the toppling of the regime. syrian rebel forces claim to have toppled damascus and ousted the regime. e regime. >>> we are waking up to extraordinary news from the middle east. rebel forces in syria have taken the capital and the regime has fallen. >>> gunfire and chance of freedom in central damascus as residents take to the streets in celebration. syrian rebel forces say president asad has fled the country. the prime minister says he is ready to hand over the government to the opposition. we will get immediate reaction from the averment here to those extraordinary events in syria from the deputy prime minister angela. from the opposition we are joined by the shadow foreign secretary. we speak to nato foreign minister from that the when yeah gabriella. the former head of mi six who has worked in syria, sir john. with us throughout the show, director of the telegraph, economist linda and the former number 10 speechwriter, phil