After Assad's ouster in Syria, U.N. envoy calls for end to sanctions

 A U.N. envoy on Sunday called for a quick end to Western sanctions against Syria as the country's new leaders and regional and global powers begin to chart a path forward following the fall of President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian government has been under strict sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad's brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and later spiraled into a civil war.

The rebel alliance that ousted Assad and broke his iron grip on the country just days ago faces a nation wracked and deeply isolated by tough international sanctions, which compounded Syria's previous economic troubles. But other challenges also complicate Syria's rebuilding: the new transitional leadership has not laid out a clear vision how the country will be governed, and the main group behind the offensive is saddled with a terrorist designation by the U.S.