Good evening. I'm John Yang. For more than a half century, Syria had been ruled with an iron

fist by the Assad regime, first Hafazal Assad, then his son Bashar. It all came to an end this

weekend with stunning lightning speed as rebels moved into the Syrian capital of Damascus, took the city,

and with it it the country.

Across Syria today, gunfire chanting and cheers in celebration of the end of an era.

The rebels faced no opposition as they advanced overnight. Russian state media said President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, where he was granted

asylum. At a mosque in the capital city, the leader of the largest insurgent group addressed

his fighters. This victory, my brothers, is for the Islamic nation. This victory is a new history

for the region.

Ordinary citizens roamed the presidential palace in Damascus, rifling rooms and taking selfies.

Across the country, symbols of the Assad family's repressive 53 years in power came toppling down.

In 1974, President Nixon became the first U.S. President's impressive 53 years in power came toppling down.

In 1974, President Nixon became the first U.S. President to visit Syria, meeting with

Hafez al-Assad, who had seized power in a coup.

Hafaz and son Bashar ruled Syria by relying heavily on security forces to crush dissent, and

they forged alliances with Russia

and Iran.

A civil war ignited in 2011 killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions of Syrians

to flee their homeland.

Today, the Syrian diaspora celebrated in Urbile Iraq, in Istanbul, in Paris.

A renewal. A renewal. We are starting on new foundations without all the tyranny.

And in Berlin. This day to day, last night, it has the same meaning as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

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