Sebastian Usher

And Ankara has for a long time mounted incursions, mounted attacks on them and has made clear that it wants them to no longer be an active armed faction. So Ahmed al-Shara had his first meeting again a day ago with representatives of the SDF and it was reported as being positive. But who knows where that will go? I think if there's going to be... Quite a big confrontation.

And Ankara has for a long time mounted incursions, mounted attacks on them and has made clear that it wants them to no longer be an active armed faction. So Ahmed al-Shara had his first meeting again a day ago with representatives of the SDF and it was reported as being positive. But who knows where that will go? I think if there's going to be... Quite a big confrontation.

That's one that we might see sooner rather than later.

That's one that we might see sooner rather than later.

Well, there have been a couple of videos now which show lines of men walking among armed Syrian fighters, presumably from HTS. This is, we believe, at the Al Arida border crossing between the two countries. It's a really desolate area. windswept, rainy.

Well, there have been a couple of videos now which show lines of men walking among armed Syrian fighters, presumably from HTS. This is, we believe, at the Al Arida border crossing between the two countries. It's a really desolate area. windswept, rainy.

And what we have heard from a variety of sources is that they are members of President Assad's forces, officers and soldiers, and maybe also some members of their family. And the reports that we have had, again, this hasn't all been officially confirmed, but from various security officials, that they were found during an inspection of a truck in in Jebel, which is a town in the north of Lebanon.

And what we have heard from a variety of sources is that they are members of President Assad's forces, officers and soldiers, and maybe also some members of their family. And the reports that we have had, again, this hasn't all been officially confirmed, but from various security officials, that they were found during an inspection of a truck in in Jebel, which is a town in the north of Lebanon.

And they are among a pretty sizable number of Syrians connected to the Assad regime who've crossed the border into Lebanon. They've also been people who've crossed into Iraq. And it's the first cooperation between the Lebanese security

And they are among a pretty sizable number of Syrians connected to the Assad regime who've crossed the border into Lebanon. They've also been people who've crossed into Iraq. And it's the first cooperation between the Lebanese security

officials and the new Syrian authorities in this drive by the new powers to round up essentially as many of the kind of leading regime officials that they can in order to bring them to justice. And we've seen this in Syria itself. in the West, in Tartus particularly, where there's been, in some ways, almost a kind of manhunt that's been going on.

officials and the new Syrian authorities in this drive by the new powers to round up essentially as many of the kind of leading regime officials that they can in order to bring them to justice. And we've seen this in Syria itself. in the West, in Tartus particularly, where there's been, in some ways, almost a kind of manhunt that's been going on.

That has caused some unrest there as well amongst the Alawite community to which the Assad's belong.

That has caused some unrest there as well amongst the Alawite community to which the Assad's belong.

I mean, what they're saying in public is... is that they want people to be brought to proper justice. So that implies that there'll be trials and they don't want Syrians themselves to take justice into their hands to commit acts of personal revenge. I mean, there've been videos circulating again, none of them really confirm of some lynchings. So there is a concern that,

I mean, what they're saying in public is... is that they want people to be brought to proper justice. So that implies that there'll be trials and they don't want Syrians themselves to take justice into their hands to commit acts of personal revenge. I mean, there've been videos circulating again, none of them really confirm of some lynchings. So there is a concern that,

inside Syria and obviously outside, that this drive for justice against the Assad regime, which doesn't degenerate into essentially a form of revenge in which violence becomes the main way that it's meted out. I mean, that would be seen

inside Syria and obviously outside, that this drive for justice against the Assad regime, which doesn't degenerate into essentially a form of revenge in which violence becomes the main way that it's meted out. I mean, that would be seen

obviously as a failure of the new authorities to impose their idea of law, of a new free Syria where they say people can breathe easily, which is what one hears on the streets.

obviously as a failure of the new authorities to impose their idea of law, of a new free Syria where they say people can breathe easily, which is what one hears on the streets.