WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>United States of America, US backed Kurdish lent, Syrian Democratic

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<v Speaker 1>Forces SDF and TALKING backed islam LEN held the heir

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<v Speaker 1>of sham Hts have pushed out Iran and Russia backed

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<v Speaker 1>President Basha al Assat from Syria, with US President elect

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump calling President Joe Biden and other government officials

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<v Speaker 1>at the White House warmongers trying to cause World War

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<v Speaker 1>three they stand in USA from the civil crisis in Damascust,

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<v Speaker 1>local media reported with videos that Christians in the Mascots

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<v Speaker 1>gathered at a church Saturday night to pray for guidance

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<v Speaker 1>as the opposition Islamic and Kurdish rebels closed in on Damascust.

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<v Speaker 1>Some of the local media added that the fall of

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<v Speaker 1>Damascost called mark the end of a two thousand year

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<v Speaker 1>old Christian presidence in the city. On Sunday, early morning,

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<v Speaker 1>Syrian President Basha al Assad boarded a plane and left

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<v Speaker 1>the Mascots for an onloon destination. Two senior army officers

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<v Speaker 1>to routers as rebels said they had entered the capital

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<v Speaker 1>with no sign of army deployments. Syria's army command also

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<v Speaker 1>notified officers that President Basha or asserts rule ended following

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<v Speaker 1>a lightned rebel offensive. A Syrian officer who was informed

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<v Speaker 1>of the move stated, according to routers with Syrian rebels,

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<v Speaker 1>saying the Mascous is now free of Assad. According to

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<v Speaker 1>our verified information, the plane that might have been carrying

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<v Speaker 1>Assad out of Damascots had gone into sharp descent and

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<v Speaker 1>disappeared from the raiders. There has been no official information,

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<v Speaker 1>but a check showed that as at on Sunday early morning,

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<v Speaker 1>a Syrian plane took off from Damascos Airport, around the

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<v Speaker 1>time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels.

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<v Speaker 1>According to data from the flight Radar website, the aircraft

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<v Speaker 1>initially flew towards Syria's coastal region, a stronghold of asserts

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<v Speaker 1>allow it set, but then led an robbed yuton and

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<v Speaker 1>flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before

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<v Speaker 1>disappearing of the mouth. Iran had earlier started to evacuate

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<v Speaker 1>military commanders from Syria in a sign that the regime

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<v Speaker 1>is loosen. First in Basha al Assad's ability to hold

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<v Speaker 1>back a rebel uprises, which started newly on November twenty seven,

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty four, advancing fastus Unlike since the Civil War

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<v Speaker 1>in Syria began in twenty eleven. Tehran has sent commanders

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<v Speaker 1>and staffed back to neighboring Lebandon in Iraq. The New

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<v Speaker 1>York Times reported, citing three Iranian officials and regional officials,

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<v Speaker 1>the renewed fighting in Syria had brought into focus the

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<v Speaker 1>role of foreign powers in the country. Turkey, Iran, Russia

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<v Speaker 1>and the US have all deployed troops in Syria since

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<v Speaker 1>twenty eleven, while Israel mounts frequent strikes in Syrian territory.

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<v Speaker 1>The Surprise rebel offensive advanced so quickly that its troops

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<v Speaker 1>were as of Saturday, within twelve miles twenty kilometers of

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<v Speaker 1>the southern guilt of Damascos. Hassan abdul Ghani, the rebel commander,

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<v Speaker 1>said israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on

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<v Speaker 1>Saturday said over the past twenty four hours, armed forces

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<v Speaker 1>have entered the buffer zone on the Syrian side of

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<v Speaker 1>the border with Israel. Among other actions, attacks were carried

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<v Speaker 1>out against United Nations Disengagement Falls UNDL forces in the area.

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<v Speaker 1>Israel is concerned about violations of the nineteen seventy four

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<v Speaker 1>disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria, which also poses a

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<v Speaker 1>threat to its security, the safety of its communities and

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<v Speaker 1>its citizens, particularly in the Golden Heights region. The State

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel does not intervene in the internal conflict in Syria.

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<v Speaker 1>Israel Foreign Ministry statement ends in court. Thousands of courts

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<v Speaker 1>have fled their villages in northern Syria after tarari Fat

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<v Speaker 1>was captured by the Turkish Bated rebel group. Syrian National

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<v Speaker 1>Army SNA for many of the courts. According to local

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<v Speaker 1>media reports, it was the second time the half Hard

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<v Speaker 1>to abandon their wounds. They had already fled the capture

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<v Speaker 1>of the Afrin region in twenty eighteen. Videos on line

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<v Speaker 1>showed anti government protesters toppled the statue of half Is

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<v Speaker 1>al Assad in Harma, Syria. The crowd started chanting as

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<v Speaker 1>the statue of Basha al Assad's father was pulled down.

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<v Speaker 1>Syrian rebels made their bilious gains since the war began

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<v Speaker 1>thirteen years ago, striking a devastating blow to President Basha

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<v Speaker 1>or Assad. Crowds were seen in the city of Harma

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<v Speaker 1>chanting God Is Great as a statue of his father

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<v Speaker 1>was was pulled down by anti government protesters. Close watchers

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<v Speaker 1>said in Syria, the US maintained no formal diplomatic relations

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<v Speaker 1>with the government of embattled President Bashar al Assad for years,

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<v Speaker 1>but it does back the Syrian Democratic Forces SDF, a

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<v Speaker 1>Kurdish led coalition based largely in the northeast, as an

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<v Speaker 1>ally in defeating isl Isis. Us BA alliance led by

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<v Speaker 1>Syrian Collish fighters captured their Elzo, the government's land foothold

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<v Speaker 1>in the vast eastern desert, on Friday. The rebels sized

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<v Speaker 1>Aleppo and Hammer in the northwest and center earlier in

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<v Speaker 1>the lightning offensive that began on November twenty seventh, twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four, the Syrian Colish for sun Islamic State, a

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<v Speaker 1>Johannist group that imposed martial law under its HASH role

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<v Speaker 1>before its defeat by a US led coalition in twenty seventeen,

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<v Speaker 1>had taken control of some areas in eastern Syria. Aaron Lund,

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<v Speaker 1>a fellow at think tam Century Foundation, said Assat government

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<v Speaker 1>was fighting for their life at this point. Syrian rebels

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<v Speaker 1>on Saturday had sent the sinsed control of the southern

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<v Speaker 1>city of Dara on Saturday, the birthplace of the twenty

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<v Speaker 1>eleven uprising against President Basha al Assad, and the fourth

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<v Speaker 1>city his forces have lost in a week. The rebels said.

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<v Speaker 1>The military agreed to make an orderly withdrawal from Dara

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<v Speaker 1>under a ding given army officials safe passage to the

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<v Speaker 1>capital Damascos, about one hundred kilometers sixty miles north, and

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<v Speaker 1>videos posted online showed government forces abandoned their positions. Social

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<v Speaker 1>media videos showed rebels on motorcycles and others mingling with

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<v Speaker 1>residents on the streets. People fired shots into the air

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<v Speaker 1>at the city's Men Square in celebration, as say in

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<v Speaker 1>the videos. The rebels had claimed late on Friday that

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<v Speaker 1>the hard advanced to the edge of the central city

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<v Speaker 1>of Homes, a key crossroads between the capital and the

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<v Speaker 1>Mediterranean coast, house capturing courts of Damascus, from the coastal

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<v Speaker 1>stronghold of us ASATs minority allah it Set, and from

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<v Speaker 1>a naval base and urbans of his Russian allies in

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<v Speaker 1>the area. Our forces have liberated the last village on

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<v Speaker 1>the outskirts of the city of Homes and are now

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<v Speaker 1>on its walls, the Syrian faction leading the sweeping assaults

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<v Speaker 1>said on the telegram messaging app. The coalition of rebel

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<v Speaker 1>factions that include the Islamist group hat Tahir al sham

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<v Speaker 1>Hts made a last call on forces loyal to Assas

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<v Speaker 1>government in homes to defect ahead of the rebel advance.

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<v Speaker 1>Thousands of people fled homes towards the coastal regions of

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<v Speaker 1>Latakia and Tatos, strongholds of the government, residents said. Turkish

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<v Speaker 1>President Tai Adawan said on Saturday that there was now

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<v Speaker 1>a new reality in neighboring Syria, where Toki has long

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<v Speaker 1>supported opposition forces that carried out in Kashuls against Kolish

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<v Speaker 1>forces that it regards as terrorists. Turkish presidents stened this

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<v Speaker 1>while speaking. Assyrian rebel entered suburbs of the city of Homes,

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<v Speaker 1>opening a path to Damascos in enlightening advance. As front

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<v Speaker 1>lines collapse and government forces battle to save President Basha

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<v Speaker 1>al assats twenty four year rule. There is now a

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<v Speaker 1>new reality in Syria politically and diplomatically, and Syria belongs

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<v Speaker 1>to Syrians with all its ethnic, Satarian and religious elements,

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<v Speaker 1>edy one said in a speech in the southern Turkish

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<v Speaker 1>city of Ghaziante, adding the people of Syria are the

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<v Speaker 1>ones who will decide the future of their own country.

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<v Speaker 1>As Turki our wish is for our navo Syria to

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<v Speaker 1>quickly regain the peace, stability and tranquility it has been

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<v Speaker 1>longing for thirteen years. He added that the best way

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<v Speaker 1>for the region to deal with the situation will before

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<v Speaker 1>responsible actors and all international organizations to support the preservation

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<v Speaker 1>of Syria's territorial integrity. A man concern of Turki is

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<v Speaker 1>the presence in northern Syria of the Syrian Kurdish YPGI militia,

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<v Speaker 1>which it regards as a terrorist group closely tied with

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<v Speaker 1>militants in Turki, who have fought a forty year insulgency

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<v Speaker 1>against the Turkish state. According to international news media, local

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<v Speaker 1>media reported that the Syrian rebels had claimed full control

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<v Speaker 1>of Hammer, a significant blow to President Basha al Assats regime.

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<v Speaker 1>After the military pulled out of the city, the leader

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<v Speaker 1>of the Islamist militant group hed the heir of sham

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<v Speaker 1>Hts Abu Mohammad al Jolani, declared victory in Harma, promising

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<v Speaker 1>no revenge for those who had fought against them earlier.

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<v Speaker 1>HTS fighters and their allied strong Hammer Central Prison released

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<v Speaker 1>hundreds of inmates after intense fighting. The Syrian military reported

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<v Speaker 1>redeploying its troops outside the city to avoid father of

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<v Speaker 1>bancombat and protect the life of civilians. A city of

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<v Speaker 1>one million people located one hundred and ten kilometers south

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<v Speaker 1>of Aleppo, was captured by rebels after they launched a

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<v Speaker 1>surprise offensive from the stronghold in the northwest. Desperate reinforcements

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<v Speaker 1>sent by the military and earth support from Russia, the

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<v Speaker 1>Syrian army was unable to prevent the rebels from overtaking

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<v Speaker 1>the city on Thursday, According to residents, rebel commander Hassan

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<v Speaker 1>abdul Ghani reported intense fighting across several districts in Hama.

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<v Speaker 1>By the afternoon, he confound that hundreds of prisoners had

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<v Speaker 1>been freed from the central prison and the city was

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<v Speaker 1>fully liberated. The rebels also secured Harma Military Airport and

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<v Speaker 1>the strategically important Jabalzan al Abadin Hill, which overlooks the

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<v Speaker 1>King Damascos Aleppo Highway. In a statement, amum Moohanad Aljolanis

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<v Speaker 1>said the fighters had entered Hamato planned the wound that

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<v Speaker 1>has enduled in Syria for forty years. Jim Chimri, a

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<v Speaker 1>center rights conservative, has said on his ex social media

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<v Speaker 1>platform that the ancient city of Damascos, one of the

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<v Speaker 1>oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, finds its Christian

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<v Speaker 1>community fencing an increasingly green future as the Syrians sivil

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<v Speaker 1>more continues to reach. For nearly two thousand years, Christians

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<v Speaker 1>have been an integral part of the city, contributing to

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<v Speaker 1>its cultural, social, and religious identity. Yet today this rich

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<v Speaker 1>Christian presence is on a direct thread from the radical

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<v Speaker 1>Islamist factions that now played the region. Damascos holds a

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<v Speaker 1>special place in Christian history, being the site of the

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<v Speaker 1>convergen of Soul, later known as Paul the Apostle, holds

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<v Speaker 1>dramatic transformation mark a pivotal moment in Christian tradition. For centuries,

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<v Speaker 1>the city has been home to ancient churches, monasteries, and

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<v Speaker 1>Christian naboos that serve as enduring symbols of the faith. However,

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<v Speaker 1>as the world deepings, these vital Christians sites are now

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<v Speaker 1>facing destruction at the hands of radical groups. While the

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<v Speaker 1>Syrian government currently maintains control of Damascos, the surrounding areas

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<v Speaker 1>arrive with violence and instability rebel factions, many of which

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<v Speaker 1>include Islamist extremist groups like ISIS and Alcada affiliates continue

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<v Speaker 1>to challenge the government. These Jihanist elements, driven by a

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<v Speaker 1>fundamentalist ideology, cause an existential threat to Christians, as their

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<v Speaker 1>ideology often involves the violent persecution of religious minorities, including

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<v Speaker 1>first convergence, abductions and killings. For Christians in Damascos, the

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<v Speaker 1>situation is dire. Despite the authoritarian nature of the Asad regil,

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<v Speaker 1>many Christians view the government as a protector against these

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<v Speaker 1>extreme forces. Under Azad circular rule, Christians have had a

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<v Speaker 1>level of protection not afforded to religious minorities in other

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<v Speaker 1>parts of the Middle East. However, as radical Islamist groups

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<v Speaker 1>grow in strength, this protection has become increasingly fragile. The

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<v Speaker 1>presence of such groups in surrounding areas only heightens the

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<v Speaker 1>risk to the Christian community in Damascos, as the city

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<v Speaker 1>could soon become a battleground between these extremists and the

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<v Speaker 1>government forces. The fall of Damascos to such hostile forces

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<v Speaker 1>would have catastrophic consequences for the Christian population. Radical groups

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<v Speaker 1>like Isis have already shown their brutal intolerance for religious minorities,

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<v Speaker 1>including Christians, by destroying churches, fossil convergence and perpetrating unspeakable violence.

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<v Speaker 1>Should Damascus fall, these extremists would almost certainly attempt to

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<v Speaker 1>erase the Christian presence, leading to the destruction of churches, monasteries,

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<v Speaker 1>and cultural landmarks that have two for centuries. This would

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<v Speaker 1>likely result in a mass exodus of Christians, marking the

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<v Speaker 1>end of a community that has been a cornerstone of

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<v Speaker 1>Damascus identity for nearly two thousand years. As the threats

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<v Speaker 1>to Damascus grows, many Christians in the city have turned

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<v Speaker 1>to prayer for guidance and protection. Church gatherings have become

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<v Speaker 1>a means of holding on to faith, not just for

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<v Speaker 1>personal survival, but for the preservation of their religious identity

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<v Speaker 1>and heritage. Their prayers are both a cry for divine

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<v Speaker 1>intervention and a plee for the international community to recognize

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<v Speaker 1>the grave danger the first and act in their defense.

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<v Speaker 1>When many Christians already fleeing to CEFA regions or abroad,

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<v Speaker 1>those who remain in Damascos continue to hope they can

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<v Speaker 1>preserve their homes and legacy. Their prayers reflect both the

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<v Speaker 1>fear of what may come and the hope that one

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<v Speaker 1>of the world's oldest Christian communities can endure the storm

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<v Speaker 1>of radical Islamist violence. As the international community watches the

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<v Speaker 1>broader Syrian conflict unfold, the plight of Syrian Christians calls

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<v Speaker 1>for augent attention. The need for global Christian solidarity has

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<v Speaker 1>never been more pressive. The survival of Christianity in Damascos,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the First's most historic centers, is now hanging

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<v Speaker 1>by a thread, threatened by the growing rise of radical

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<v Speaker 1>Islamist forces determined to eradicate its presence, Jims stated. Donald Trump,

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<v Speaker 1>the US President elect, on his ex social media handled

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<v Speaker 1>on Saturday, said with some of his words written completely

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<v Speaker 1>in capital letters, that I am hereby demanding that the

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<v Speaker 1>US do not get involved in the conflict between Syria, Russia,

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<v Speaker 1>and Iran. This is not our fight. We should not

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<v Speaker 1>see send one penny to Damascus or any other party involved.

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<v Speaker 1>We cannot let the one man gas in the White

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<v Speaker 1>House succeed in starting World War III. Opposition fighters in Syria,

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<v Speaker 1>in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities

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<v Speaker 1>in a highly coordinated offensive and are now on the

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<v Speaker 1>outskirts of Damascos, obviously preparing to make a very big

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<v Speaker 1>move toward taking out Asad Russia, because they are so

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<v Speaker 1>tied up in Ukraine and with the loss there of

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<v Speaker 1>over six hundred thousand soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this

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<v Speaker 1>literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.

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<v Speaker 1>This is where former President Obama refused to honor his

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<v Speaker 1>commitments of protecting the red line in the sand and

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<v Speaker 1>all health broke out with the Russia stepping in. But

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<v Speaker 1>now they are like possibly assaund himself being forced out,

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<v Speaker 1>and it may actually be the best thing that can

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<v Speaker 1>happened to them. There was never much of a benefit

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<v Speaker 1>in Syria for Russia, other than to member Obama LUK

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<v Speaker 1>really stupid. In any event, Syria is immense, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>not our friend, and the United States should have nothing

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<v Speaker 1>to do with it. This is not our fight. Let

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<v Speaker 1>it play out, Do not get involved. Donald Trump words

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<v Speaker 1>and in quote Meddy bringay you bring in a more

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<v Speaker 1>digital way.