DOD Officials Call Syrian General’s Defection, ‘Significant’

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By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 6, 2012 – Pentagon officialscalled the defection of Syrian Army Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass “significant,”saying this could be the first crack in the inner circle around Syrian dictatorBashar Assad.
Tlass sought asylum in Turkey, saidPentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby.
“He is a former friend of Assad, so wedon’t believe this defection should be taken lightly,” Kirby said. “It’sanother example of a senior member in the Syrian army that has decided to turnagainst the Syrian regime and to stop committing violent acts against itspeople.”
Tlass is the son of former Syriandefense minister Mustafa Tlass, according to U.S. officials. The elder Tlassserved in the position from 1972 to 2004 and helped the Assad family set up therepressive regime in Syria.
This defection is considered differentfrom those that have occurred previously, U.S. officials said, noting Tlass isa general officer who had a long, personal, close association with the Assadfamily.
U.S. officials hope this latestdefection will lead to more from the regime’s inner circle. “I’d behard-pressed to say that the regime is about to crack under the weight ofdefections,” Kirby said.
The Syrian regime is murdering its ownpeople and Bashar Assad has not indicated any desire to relinquish power,officials said.
“He has loyalists still around him andcertainly the vast majority of the Syrian military is still following hisorders,” Kirby said. “The international community remains firm about the needfor him to step down and stop killing his people.”
The United States, officials said, isconcerned about reports that al-Qaida is taking advantage of the chaos in Syriato launch attacks and establish a presence in the country. Iraqi officials,they said, claim al-Qaida terrorists are moving from Iraq to Syria to launchattacks.
Kirby said Defense Secretary Leon E.Panetta is concerned about such reports.
“The secretary has been on the recordexpressing concern about the potential for al-Qaida migrating in to Syria, andwe have seen indications that they have wanted to do that,” Kirby said. “Thisobviously won’t do anything to stabilize the situation in Syria.”