Friday, July 6, 2012

High - Ranking General Defects From Assad's Inner Circle

Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas, right in an undated photo with Bashar al-Assad, has been a key member of the Syrian president's regime.

High-Ranking General Defects From Syrian Military -- CNN

(CNN) -- A key member of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "inner circle" has defected, Western officials said, a stunning blow to the embattled regime.

He is Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas, a Republican Guard military commander, the son of a former defense minister and possibly the most senior Sunni in a power structure dominated by the Alawite minority.

"He's an inside confidant of Assad. So it counts that even an insider thinks it's time to go," said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more ....

More News On The Impact Of A High Level Military General's Defection From The Syrian Military

Senior Syrian military officer defects -- Washington Post
Top general close to Syria's Assad defects -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
Friend of Assad deserts Syria for France -- Reuters
Friend flees Assad as U.S. pressures Russia -- Reuters
Defection of Syrian general 'significant': US -- AFP
US, allies press Syrian regime as general’s defection suggests Assad’s inner circle weakening -- Washington Post/AP
Syria Manaf Tlas defection 'hard blow' for Assad -- BBC
Top General abandon's Syria regime -- Herald Sun
Syrian general's defection a humiliating blow to Assad -- Sydney Morning Herald
Pentagon cheers defection of Syrian general -- AP
Syrian General's Defection May Encourage Others, But Not a Threat to Assad -- ABC News

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