Now from the far south of Syria to Aleppo in the north, where we find our special correspondent

Leila Molana Allen tonight. She and her team also spend time in Latakia on the coast earlier

today. So Leila, as we heard from ousted President Bashad al-Assad for the first time today,

tell us more about what exactly he had to say. So indeed, this was the first time that anyone in Syria has heard from him since, as everyone

thought, he fled on the 7th of December when it became clear that rebels were about to take

Damascus. Everyone thought that he got on a plane to Moscow with his family, but he has released

a statement today, claiming that actually he went north to Latakia, that's the

Alawite heartland,

the sect that the Assad family is from, and went to a Russian base called Mamim with his allies there, hoping to regroup and firm up those lines with the Syrian armed forces. But he says

when it became clear that all the armed forces had laid down their weapons and the rebels were

taking the entire area, the Russians evacuated him out on the Sunday. Now, he says that he never

had any intention to flee his country, that he's always supported his country, and never sold it

out, and that he only went to Russia because it became clear that nothing more could be done in

terrorism, as he calls that these rebels had taken over the whole country. Now, he closes by saying

that he doesn't, it seems, plan to come

back because once terrorism has taken over a country, there is no place for leaders there,

but that he hopes that one day Syria will be free and independent again from these rebels.

Of course, many people in Syria would say that for the first time in more than half a century,

Syria is free and independent of the Assad's now.

And, Lila, tell us more about that al-Awhite heartland in which you spent time today, where

the Assad family is from and where, as you say, he passed through as he fled Damascus on his

way to Moscow.

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