4th member of Syria's law makers defects amidst an increased crackdown, however?

Highlights: Syrian ambassador to Iraq joins revolt, urges military to turn on murderous Government, In a related development, a member of the Syrian parliament representing the city of Aleppo, Ikhlas al Badawi, Friday became the fourth member to defect. "I crossed the Turkish border and left this tyrannical regime because of the repression and savage torture to which it uses against a nation that calls for minimum rights," Unthinkable a month ago, it was the name of regime's former golden boy Brigadier General Manaf Tlass that was on delegate's lips yesterday as the fractured Syrian opposition met in Qatar to hash out plans for a transitional government.

Unthinkable a month ago, it was the name of regime's former golden boy Brigadier General Manaf Tlass that was on delegate's lips yesterday as the fractured Syrian opposition met in Qatar to hash out plans for a transitional government.

In his first interview since becoming the uprising's most high profile defector so far, the chiselled 48-year-old yesterday put himself forward as the man best placed to bring unity to the multitude of factions hoping to oust his former friend and confidante President Bashar al-Assad. "I left [Syria]… to try to help the best I can to unite the honourable people inside and outside Syria to set out a road map to get Syria out of this crisis," he told the Asharq Alawsat newspaper in Jeddah.

Syrian ambassador to Iraq joins revolt, urges military to turn on murderous Government- CNN: The defection of Nawaf al-Fares, Syria's ambassador to Iraq, follows the defection last week of a brigadier general in protest of the killing of his fellow Sunnis. Al-Fares is the highest-ranking diplomat so far to leave the regime. He also announced his defection from the ruling Baath party, becoming the most senior member to leave.

"To my brothers in the military, your military doctrine is to defend the homeland against external aggression and protect its borders," al-Fares said in a video statement taped in front of a Syrian opposition flag and given to the TV network Al Jazeera Arabic. "So did your fathers, sons, and sisters become the enemies now? And are they the ones who you should fight? Is that what you have learned in your military schools?" Photos: Massacre in Syria

Two more Syrian diplomats defect from Assad regime
Two more Syrian diplomats defect from Assad regime: The United States on Wednesday confirmed the defections of two more senior Syrian diplomats, describing this as further evidence that President Bashar al-Assad's days are "numbered." "We can confirm the defections of Syrian ambassadors to both the UAE and Cyprus," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Earlier, sources had told AFP the two envoys had defected from the regime. Carney said the move showed that "senior officials around the Assad inner circle are fleeing the government because of the heinous actions taken by Assad against his own people, and the recognition that Assad's days are numbered."

Clashes continue as Syrian MP defects: One week after the opening of this new front, the regime's special forces were deployed on the eastern flank of the city and other troops arrived to participated in a massive offensive, according to opposition sources. The United States said on Thursday it was fearing a massacre in Aleppo.

In a related development, a member of the Syrian parliament representing the city of Aleppo, Ikhlas al Badawi, Friday became the fourth member to defect. "I crossed the Turkish border and left this tyrannical regime because of the repression and savage torture to which it uses against a nation that calls for minimum rights," she told Sky News Arabia.

This brings the total of senior diplomats, "law makers" defecting so far to 4! In January, Imad Ghalioun, a member of the parliamentary budget committee, announced he was seeking refuge in Egypt, calling on the opposition to ensure the interest of the Syrian people "who want to achieve freedom". Badawi, a member of Assad's Baath party, is the first member of the parliament elected in May to renounce him, however.

Plus Even as state media reported the suicide attack in Damascus — a notion that would once have been unthinkable in decades of iron-fisted control by the Assad family — the country’s Russian-armed military was reported to have suffered further defections among its top ranks, with two brigadier generals among 600 Syrians who fled to Turkey overnight, Reuters reported.

Their action brought to 20 the number of such high-ranking figures, who include a onetime close associate of Mr. Assad, Gen. Manaf Tlass, the son of a former defense minister.

The tide seems to have changed against Assad but this is going to be a long dirty tough fight. The climax is building but I like much of the world am long convinced that Assad is a mad man. If he is still alive he is getting beyond increasingly desperate. At the very least he will use chemical weapons on his own people that he calls foreigners and terrorists and in the process sacrifice many of his own supporters.

Syria is largely thought to have the largest stockpile of chemical weapons in the world and the most extensive and deadliest. Yes they are moving them around supposedly to protect them but I would not count on that. One of the General's now in the opposition is making a plan to secure them. Under Assad he was in control of them so he knows where they all are.

Not just that but you know Israel is monitoring their movement and knows where they are. They will do anything to keep them out of the hands of Hezbollah who absolutely would use them on Israel.

Lastly do not discount Iran's ability to get her hands on them "clandestinely of course" and get them into the hands of anyone eager to use them on Israel. This is not a good situation in an already volatile predicament. Not with everyone involved there eager to gain the upper hand in influencing which way the new middle east order goes.

Iran and Russia to top it off are not going to allow a western influenced Government take control of Syria. Russia is not going to give up Tartus or let go of her interests in Syria. This is onl the beginning of the fight to control the direction of the world in the 21st century. Worse is the question of which way China will go, with the US or with Russia?


James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com