Syria: defected ambassador says ‘join the ranks of the revolution’

The Syrian opposition are hoping a precedent has now been set for a repeat of
the mass diplomatic defections that dealt a blow to the Gaddafi regime in
Libya.

Their optimism was echoed by the White House, which claimed that the defection
was a further sign Mr Assad was losing his grip on power.

Despite two high-profile defections in a week however, the establishment in
Syria is not splintering nearly as fast as it did in Libya.

The desertion of Gen Manaf Tlass, once a close confidante of Mr Assad and one
of Syria’s most prominent Sunnis, suggests that the loyalty of leading
members of the Sunni majority may be wavering.

The defection of the two men has also sparked some suspicion within rebel
ranks. Both were once seen as members of an old guard that opposed Mr
Assad’s brief dalliance with democratic reform when he first assumed power.

Leading opposition activists questioned their revolutionary credentials,
accusing of them of seeking to position themselves as suitable candidates in
Western eyes to serve in a proposed transitional government.

“If the ambassador defects, he does it because he is greedy for power
because Western intelligence agencies are looking for figures who can fit
into the transitional phase,’ Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said.

Meanwhile a British-drafted UN Security Council resolution threatening the
Assad regime with mandatory sanctions if it failed to implement a new
transition plan within 10 days looked likely to falter after Russia said it
would veto the proposal.

Moscow backs the plan, which calls for the formation of a transitional
government including members of both the regime and the opposition because
it does not specifically call for Mr Assad’s exclusion from it.

Diplomats hope that Russia’s backing can still be won for a watered-down
measure that threatens Mr Assad with unspecified and non-binding
consequences should he fail to comply.

The urgency of resolving the crisis was further heightened after Human Rights
Watch said it had documented the first use of cluster bombs by the regime in
a battle against rebels.

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