the first images of a free Syria longtime dictator Bashar Al Assad is toppled Rebel group hayat Tahir Al sham announces the fall of the regime entering Damascus after sweeping across the country in only 10 days it is Sunday December 8th at the presidential Palace Assad is already gone and not picking up the phone no messages no calls answer no call in details not shared publicly with International media until now Assad's head of communications now in Exile speaks exclusively to NBC news on Sunday morning at 2:30 a.m. there was no one left in the palace except
for me and another person from the media and political office he did not tell anyone where he was going we now know Assad fled to Russia that Sunday Before Sunrise and that the palace had lied to the Syrian people at 6:58 p.m. the night before he fled announcing an EST statement Bashar alassad is assuming his work from Damascus mazan Aon works at the Syrian State media agency saana he translated that statement into English on Saturday night at :00 that night uh the administration of s founded me uh to post a news that the president is
still working and assumes his constitutional work at 7 o00 so this was only a few hours before few hours before before he fled to Moscow yes so therefore everyone was thinking he's still in the palace he's still working yeah well one can only imagine what the atmosphere was like in this presidential palace here are the main gates behind me on the night that Bashar alassad fled he must have realized that his time was up in the days preceding one major city after another was falling to the rebels and in the middle of the night his
Aid tells us he was planning a secret Escape Bashar alassad appears to have carefully planned his subterfuge Kamal Saker was told to organize a camera crew to film a speech that the former dictator never intended on delivering it was supposed to be at the maharin palace and the place was prepared with cameras and the filming team everything was ready Bashar al-assad prepared a paper about 400 words long instead Saker says the former president fled to hin airbase and in the early hours of Sunday warded a flight to Moscow Sunday December 8th around midday Rebels are
now fully in charg but how did the Assad dictatorship fall so quickly it all started November 27th the Rebels first taking Aleppo that day sucker says Assad was in Moscow and says he pleaded for help from Russian President Vladimir Putin Saker says Assad was given assurances by his Russ an ally but that help never arrived President Putin told Bashar al- Assad that he would request securing Iranian military aid by a the following day November 28th Assad returns to Damascus but the Iranians his other Ally don't come to his rescue either the dominoes are now falling
at lightning speed December 5th the city of Hama Falls to the rebels sakur says Assad tries to reach Putin but says his calls go unanswered the Russian president is on a visit to bellarus he tried calling him directly yes and what happened it didn't happen so he didn't answer yes Saturday December 7th the city of humps Falls as well Saker says Iranian onvoy Ali larani is in Damascus Assad attends the meeting without AIDS or sta is this when the message was conveyed that Iran would not come to the dictator's Aidan it's not only Iran Hezbollah
and Russia but the Syrian Army itself as well we are talking about tens of thousands of soldiers and officers none of them were willing to fight I believe that after the opposition took control of Holmes he realized he had to go the following night the stunning news that Assad was gone for good was broadcast from the loudspeaker of a Damascus mosque and made it all the way to Mazen aon's bedroom at 3:00 I I woke up on and the the sounds of shootings bullets yeah so you didn't get the news from anything official you just
opened your window and looked outside looked outside the soldiers took off their suits and oh you saw them removing their uniforms yes soldiers we spoke to confirmed that their commanders had vanished leaving them abandoned to their Fates the regime finally collapses Russian troops withdraw from the country and Iran deserts its longtime Ally Rebel leader Ahmed al- Shar reaches the capital it is Sunday December 8th and he now occupies the same Palace Bashar alassad had ruled from for decades syrians now collectively holding their breaths and hoping these new leaders will keep their Promises of Freedom Paula
garani NBC News Damascus thanks for watching stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media
