Syrian Premier Defects Protesting 'Genocide'
Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has defected to the opposition in protest at the "genocide" President Bashar Assad is carrying out against his own people, his spokesman said on Monday.
"I announce my defection today (Monday) from the regime of killing and terror, and I join the ranks of the revolt," he said in statement read by his spokesman Mohammed al-Otri on Al-Jazeera news channel from Amman.
He said his defection comes at a time "when Syria is passing through the most difficult war crimes, genocide, and barbaric killings and massacres against unarmed citizens."
Hijab, the highest-ranking official to defect from Assad's regime, has "become a soldier in the ranks of the soldiers of the revolt," Otri said.
He said the premier's defection took "months" to organize and "rebels inside the country have secured this honorable exit for him."
"He put his life on the line for this revolt... to tell the world that we were forced to be with this regime and the sword was at our necks," the spokesman said.
"Our information is confirmed through Riyad Hijab that the Syrian regime is collapsing and will definitely fall."
Otri said the premier was in a "safe haven and in safe hands" with 10 relatives and their families, adding that he "will soon appear and talk."
Opposition Syrian National Council member Khalid Zein al-Abedin told AFP in Amman that Hijab, his family, two ministers and three army officers crossed the border into Jordan on Sunday night.
"The Free Syrian Army helped all of them cross the border. They are now in a safe place inside the kingdom. Several other army officers defected and arrived in Jordan last night."
Another member of the Syrian opposition confirmed the details of the defection.
"The opposition and the Free Syrian Army are coordinating now to help more army officers and officials defect to Jordan in the coming few days," he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Zayed Hammad, head of the Ketab and Sunna Society, a charity that cares for more than 50,000 Syrians who fled violence said his staff had seen Hijab entering Jordan on Monday night.
"Aid workers from the society saw Hijab, his family and others cross the border last night and I can confirm that," said Hammad, whose organization cares for more than 50,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan.
Later on Monday, Hijab’s spokesman said the defecting premier is to leave Jordan for Qatar within days, following the example of other high-profile defectors.
"Hijab will go to Doha, where international media are based. He will leave for Qatar tomorrow, the day after or after a few days," Otri told AFP in the Jordanian capital.
A member of the Syrian opposition in Jordan said Hijab would soon travel to Qatar.
"We are currently coordinating to facilitate the departure of Hijab to Doha in the coming few hours, most probably at 2200 GMT. Seven of his brothers will stay in Jordan," he told AFP, saying he had helped Hijab defect.
"We understand the sensitivity of this issue for Jordan. We do not want to create problems for the kingdom, which already has tense relations with the Syrian regime," he said, on condition of anonymity.
Syria's ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf Fares, defected last month and took refuge in Qatar, which has been among the most outspoken critics of Assad's regime.
State television reported that Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government Minister Omar Ghalawanji had been appointed caretaker premier.
"Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has been dismissed," it said in a terse report.
According to the state-owned Tishrin newspaper, Hijab presided over two meetings at the local government ministry on Sunday to discuss "measures to redevelop areas that have been cleansed of armed terrorists."
Hijab was only appointed on June 6 following a widely boycotted May 7 parliamentary election that was hailed as a centerpiece of reform by the Assad regime but dismissed as a farce by Arab and Western governments.
Also Monday, Anatolia reported that another Syrian brigadier general has fled to Turkey to join opposition fighters, accompanied by five high-ranking officers and more than 30 troops.
Some 400 Syrian civilians, most of them women and children, also arrived in the company of the soldiers, the agency added.
The latest defection brings the total number of Syrian generals who have left Syria through the Turkish border to 31 since the uprising erupted in mid-March last year.
almost 13 years
wa7ad, I meant.
almost 13 years
look at bastard sorry bernard he's proud to have a chimp on his avatar
almost 13 years
w enta wahad kezzeb
almost 13 years
BREAKING NEWS.... Adnan Mansour just announced he has defected from the Syrian regime.
almost 13 years
that is very, very funny. well said. i almost spit out my coffee when i read your comment. we all with it was true. adnan mansour would do a fine job as bashar's prime minister...he has proven himself to only care about the syrian regime and has worked to their benefit. he certainly does NOT represent lebanon's best interests.
almost 13 years
Sorry... false alarm. In a news conference, Masnour stated he would not defect from Bashar's regime even if Bashar defected.
almost 13 years
hahahaha!!! go and the check the tayyar forum!!!! those aounist believe soooooo much in assad!!! they are more assadi the assad himslf!!! according to them, the defection is nothing important and assad is encouraging them to defect so he can be clean from traitor!!! hahahahahahahah!!! never believed a aounist could go soooooo low
almost 13 years
they could and will go lower!
almost 13 years
And they keep leaving, just like dominoes slowly but surely, there have been defections on daily basis,the ship has almost sunk, can't wait to see ASSad and family getting what they deserve.
almost 13 years
check this guy elashtar on tayyar forum!!! wouuuuuhahahahahahahah!!!
almost 13 years
Crazy that the Syrien PM has defected from Assad and the Lebanese FPM is still loyal to Assad
almost 13 years
Where's "Love4Bashar" and all the other baathi slaves??? LAK KHIDU!!!!!!!!! Yalla better news to come in a few days... HAHAHAH ou yallaaaa
almost 13 years
If all these high level defection is not reaching these deaf ears of Russia and China, They and their countries are doomed to the same fate as Syria and Libya!
almost 13 years
Crusader, did you recognize who is on the picture of elashtar? the only fact he's allowed to have such picture tells you what tayyar has become
almost 13 years
BREAKING NEWS.... Syrian President Bashar Assad has defected to the opposition in protest at the "genocide" his regime is carrying out against his own people...
Tayyar Forum reaction to this development:
"He is not a military man in the field....Only high ranked employee to manage the country...It deosn't mean anaything on the ground let him go..."
almost 13 years
The man looks evil... I wonder what this one has done.
almost 13 years
That's a greath idea. Aoun should run for the Premiership in Syria !!!
almost 13 years
Dakheelak ....we don't need anymore scum in Syria...ship him off to tehran where he belongs
almost 13 years
After the Syrian revolution, look out for the Persian Spring. With a rate of 70% for inflation, the Iranians are living under horrible economic conditions while their regime is looking to build nuclear facilities, develop long range missiles, and support Hezbollah and the defunct Assad regime.
The dominoes are falling fast, and it will be bye bye Hezbollah and their clowns (i.e. 3aww 3aww 3awwn)
almost 13 years
@dasphinx thats why the iranians are terrified of the events in syria
almost 13 years
I hope the FPM defects soon as well
almost 13 years
A HUGE step forward for the FSA and closer to the END of the line for Assad...and HA's fate! Great move Riyad! Stand behind your people and FREEDOM!
almost 13 years
the syrian regime is at its last moments.
let us see if hizbushaitan still believes in it and if they want to avoid lebanon's destruction by handing over their weapons to the state.
almost 13 years
That's what I call a real man. Good for him. he could have stayed in Syria as a PM but he chose dignity over positions and he would be the one who would benefit when the regime is over. He might be the new prime minister when Syria is liberated.
almost 13 years
Tick-tock. The clock is running down to 0:00. Only question is will it take another week, another month, another year, or like Lebanon run for 15 years.
In Lebanon, Arafat collected the funds from the Sunni nations to support his PLO against the Leebanese nationalist forces who supported themselves largely on taxing the people of the Shariee, and selling hashish. Based on this economic foundation, the war lasted from 1975-1983. Then from 1983-1990 All was static until Aoun came and gave Syria cause to take the Christian areas.
almost 13 years
Syria will be much worse. Assad and the Alawites are supported by Iranian money and Russian Arms. The FSA are supported by the Saudis, and Qataris, financially and arms that are bought on the open arms market. These are two very deep pockets, Iran v. KSA, and as long as they will fund the conflictt, Syrian blood will flow and Syria will become one very large Beirut with its green lines and competing forces along static confrontation lines.
Assad is building his line to the West of the Alawite Mountains just as the Lebanese Christians did theirs in East Beirut after evicting the PLO from Tel Zatar.
almost 13 years
you might be correct, but still the syrian peple have amazed all their critics, by continuing their revolution by going out daily with their bear chest, till some benefactors started financing them and arming them.
almost 13 years
lol--they can barter, but really can't use cash. really pretty funny.
almost 13 years
" There is nothing in Syria"; " terrorists and foreign agents are attacking the Syrian people"....
Suddenly the prime minister who should know a bit of what is going on in syria defects and accuses the regime of genocide! Still some keep repeating the same accustaions and claims of the alleged global conspiracy against Assad.
Walla walla walla... Wa2ad waratténé!