Carlotta Gall

It has been the most incredible turn of events. In just 12 days, we've turned from what we thought was really a frozen conflict going nowhere to an uprising in this 13-year civil war.

It has been the most incredible turn of events. In just 12 days, we've turned from what we thought was really a frozen conflict going nowhere to an uprising in this 13-year civil war.

It started with a small rebel group come up from the northwest of the country. And very rapidly, in just a matter of days, they took three cities.

It started with a small rebel group come up from the northwest of the country. And very rapidly, in just a matter of days, they took three cities.

Aleppo in the north, the second biggest city in the country. And then they started to move south.

Aleppo in the north, the second biggest city in the country. And then they started to move south.

And then they kept going.

And then they kept going.

This is when suddenly it seemed that they were ambitious enough to actually topple the government. And so by Friday, we knew that the capital was in danger. And Saturday, you saw reports of gunfire in the city.

This is when suddenly it seemed that they were ambitious enough to actually topple the government. And so by Friday, we knew that the capital was in danger. And Saturday, you saw reports of gunfire in the city.

Then you saw these reports of the army leaving, abandoning the airport, some of them abandoning their uniforms on the roads. And then overnight, Saturday night, suddenly, in a rush,

Then you saw these reports of the army leaving, abandoning the airport, some of them abandoning their uniforms on the roads. And then overnight, Saturday night, suddenly, in a rush,

The rebels took the state TV and they announced that they'd taken control of the whole of the capital and that President Bashar al-Assad had got on a plane and left the country. Long live Free Syria. So it's really an incredibly swift movement of events from a total dictatorship to he's gone.

The rebels took the state TV and they announced that they'd taken control of the whole of the capital and that President Bashar al-Assad had got on a plane and left the country. Long live Free Syria. So it's really an incredibly swift movement of events from a total dictatorship to he's gone.

Yes. And Syria has had the same leaders, the same family of leaders for 50 years, a very authoritarian family. Bashar al-Assad has been in power now, but his father was in power before him. And so they've ruled this country with an iron grip since the 1970s. So it's really a big deal. It is a big deal.

Yes. And Syria has had the same leaders, the same family of leaders for 50 years, a very authoritarian family. Bashar al-Assad has been in power now, but his father was in power before him. And so they've ruled this country with an iron grip since the 1970s. So it's really a big deal. It is a big deal.

Well, this is the culmination of the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, when different countries started to rise up against the dictatorships. We saw it in Tunisia, and we saw it in Egypt, and we saw it in Libya. And Syria joined that run of protests, people daring to come out onto the streets, asking for freedom, for democracy, for human rights, dignity. And the

Well, this is the culmination of the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, when different countries started to rise up against the dictatorships. We saw it in Tunisia, and we saw it in Egypt, and we saw it in Libya. And Syria joined that run of protests, people daring to come out onto the streets, asking for freedom, for democracy, for human rights, dignity. And the

Syria was the same as the others, but what happened in Syria was the government of Syria under Assad really cracked down, used violence against the protesters, but then did mass arrests, interrogations, torture, disappearances, a lot of executions. And then some of the protesters took up weapons, and it became an armed insurgency. And a civil war, essentially. The country was fighting each other.

Syria was the same as the others, but what happened in Syria was the government of Syria under Assad really cracked down, used violence against the protesters, but then did mass arrests, interrogations, torture, disappearances, a lot of executions. And then some of the protesters took up weapons, and it became an armed insurgency. And a civil war, essentially. The country was fighting each other.