Jane Araf

Yeah, well, Damascus itself, of course, has changed quite dramatically. I mean, just a couple of minutes ago, there were a bunch of sixth graders who were jumping up and down on a bronze statue of toppled leader Bashar al-Assad's head. We wanted to go further afield, though, so we traveled through Syrian's southern desert to a place I have been trying to get to for years.

Yeah, well, Damascus itself, of course, has changed quite dramatically. I mean, just a couple of minutes ago, there were a bunch of sixth graders who were jumping up and down on a bronze statue of toppled leader Bashar al-Assad's head. We wanted to go further afield, though, so we traveled through Syrian's southern desert to a place I have been trying to get to for years.

Yeah, well, Damascus itself, of course, has changed quite dramatically. I mean, just a couple of minutes ago, there were a bunch of sixth graders who were jumping up and down on a bronze statue of toppled leader Bashar al-Assad's head. We wanted to go further afield, though, so we traveled through Syrian's southern desert to a place I have been trying to get to for years.

It's the Rukban camp, and it's in this remote corner of the desert where people who are fleeing ISIS thought that they could go across to Jordan and then were trapped there. 7,000 people cut off for nine years. There's also a U.S. base there. It's part of the anti-ISIS coalition. They've been partnering with Syrian forces that ended up forcing the retreat of the Syrian regime.

It's the Rukban camp, and it's in this remote corner of the desert where people who are fleeing ISIS thought that they could go across to Jordan and then were trapped there. 7,000 people cut off for nine years. There's also a U.S. base there. It's part of the anti-ISIS coalition. They've been partnering with Syrian forces that ended up forcing the retreat of the Syrian regime.

It's the Rukban camp, and it's in this remote corner of the desert where people who are fleeing ISIS thought that they could go across to Jordan and then were trapped there. 7,000 people cut off for nine years. There's also a U.S. base there. It's part of the anti-ISIS coalition. They've been partnering with Syrian forces that ended up forcing the retreat of the Syrian regime.

So those refugees, those refugees in their own countries now have the possibility for the first time to go home. They don't have the money and they don't have a lot of other things, but there is the possibility. And up and down that highway. we were seeing the same thing.

So those refugees, those refugees in their own countries now have the possibility for the first time to go home. They don't have the money and they don't have a lot of other things, but there is the possibility. And up and down that highway. we were seeing the same thing.

So those refugees, those refugees in their own countries now have the possibility for the first time to go home. They don't have the money and they don't have a lot of other things, but there is the possibility. And up and down that highway. we were seeing the same thing.

Last night near Hama, one of the key towns that were taken that led to the retreat of the regime, there was a truck stop full of families traveling home. Inside, there were Syrians crowding a sweets counter. I spoke with one young mother who was going home for the first time in 13 years. She was going to introduce her kids to their grandparents.

Last night near Hama, one of the key towns that were taken that led to the retreat of the regime, there was a truck stop full of families traveling home. Inside, there were Syrians crowding a sweets counter. I spoke with one young mother who was going home for the first time in 13 years. She was going to introduce her kids to their grandparents.

Last night near Hama, one of the key towns that were taken that led to the retreat of the regime, there was a truck stop full of families traveling home. Inside, there were Syrians crowding a sweets counter. I spoke with one young mother who was going home for the first time in 13 years. She was going to introduce her kids to their grandparents.

There have obviously been a lot of tragedies, a lot of deaths, For the people who are able to reunite with their families, all of that time makes it somewhat sweeter.

There have obviously been a lot of tragedies, a lot of deaths, For the people who are able to reunite with their families, all of that time makes it somewhat sweeter.

There have obviously been a lot of tragedies, a lot of deaths, For the people who are able to reunite with their families, all of that time makes it somewhat sweeter.

Yesterday at the Euphrates River, about a six-hour drive from Damascus, we were at one of the dividing lines between U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces and Turkish-backed fighters who played a big role in in the retreat of the regime here. And that road from Damascus to the Euphrates River kind of mirrors the fall of regime forces.

Yesterday at the Euphrates River, about a six-hour drive from Damascus, we were at one of the dividing lines between U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces and Turkish-backed fighters who played a big role in in the retreat of the regime here. And that road from Damascus to the Euphrates River kind of mirrors the fall of regime forces.

Yesterday at the Euphrates River, about a six-hour drive from Damascus, we were at one of the dividing lines between U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces and Turkish-backed fighters who played a big role in in the retreat of the regime here. And that road from Damascus to the Euphrates River kind of mirrors the fall of regime forces.

There were regime tanks on the road being stripped, fuel being siphoned by poor people, defaced posters of the regime, trucks with people heading home. But then when we got closer to Manbij, where Syrian Arab coalition fighters were recently in control, There was kind of a vacuum there and people were afraid.

There were regime tanks on the road being stripped, fuel being siphoned by poor people, defaced posters of the regime, trucks with people heading home. But then when we got closer to Manbij, where Syrian Arab coalition fighters were recently in control, There was kind of a vacuum there and people were afraid.