Ghalioun Hails Deputy Minister's Defection, U.S. Calls It 'Good News'

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun on Thursday welcomed the defection of the deputy oil minister and told Agence France Presse he expects more government officials and politicians to follow suit.

"I hail the deputy (oil) minister who defected and I call on all government members and public servants ... to abandon this regime and join the ranks of the revolution for freedom and dignity," said Ghalioun, head of the Syrian National Council, the main opposition group.

"I expect for sure that there are other government officials and politicians who will follow suit," he added.

Ghalioun was reacting to the defection hours earlier in a video message posted on YouTube of Syria's deputy oil minister Abdo Hussameddin, the most senior official to join the opposition.

Hussameddin said he no longer wished to serve a "criminal regime" and urged colleagues to abandon "this sinking ship".

"The main reason other officials have not defected so far is that this regime for 50 years has enslaved people and transformed them into robots manipulated by remote control," Ghalioun said.

"They needed a major jolt to awaken them and I think this revolution has done that."

Washington cautiously welcomed the news, with State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland saying "it would be very good news," adding that the United States could not authenticate the YouTube video

"That would be absolutely in keeping with the kind of calls that the secretary and the president have been making for senior members of the regime to break with Assad," she said.

Comments 14
Thumb jcamerican 08 March 2012, 12:43

I guess this one will be the new president, and the new defector his vice president.

Missing youssefhaddad 08 March 2012, 12:52

Another tear in the Regime's fabric but it is still too little.
One should understand that the fear of retaliation of the regime against the family and friends is what preventing many from leaving this murderous regime.

Default-user-icon The Truth (Guest) 08 March 2012, 14:13

@Flamethrower: You're the remote controlled puppet, you pop up with nonsensical logic to defend a dictator who kills his own people to hold on to power in desperation and who occupied Lebanon. You're a credit to the country...

Default-user-icon May7 (Guest) 08 March 2012, 14:55

Flame thrower I have no doubt one day you will become Electricity Payer

Default-user-icon N (Guest) 08 March 2012, 20:58

Why does anybody bother responding to a simpleton child like FlameThrower... let him live in his fantasy world. He sits on his computer all day making stupid comments, ordering in pizza, and getting paid $50 a month from Hezbollastan to post online.

Thumb beiruti 08 March 2012, 15:12

The common complaint used as justification for the international community not to come to the aid of the Syrian people and end the murderous rampage of the Assad Regime is that the SNC led by Mr. Ghalioun is too disorganized; too many chiefs; splintered; not credible as an alternative governing body. It would seem that Mr. Ghalioun, by failing to rationalize his Opposition into a unified entity is contributing to the suffering of his people.
It is difficult. In 1980, Bashir Gemayel had to do it to form the LF and it was not easy. But necessary if the suffering of the people is to end and Assad is to be removed.

Thumb beiruti 08 March 2012, 15:13

The common complaint used as justification for the international community not to come to the aid of the Syrian people and end the murderous rampage of the Assad Regime is that the SNC led by Mr. Ghalioun is too disorganized; too many chiefs; splintered; not credible as an alternative governing body. It would seem that Mr. Ghalioun, by failing to rationalize his Opposition into a unified entity is contributing to the suffering of his people.
It is difficult. In 1980, Bashir Gemayel had to do it to form the LF and it was not easy. But necessary if the suffering of the people is to end and Assad is to be removed.

Thumb beiruti 08 March 2012, 16:33

The common complaint used as justification for the international community not to come to the aid of the Syrian people and end the murderous rampage of the Assad Regime is that the SNC led by Mr. Ghalioun is too disorganized; too many chiefs; splintered; not credible as an alternative governing body. It would seem that Mr. Ghalioun, by failing to rationalize his Opposition into a unified entity is contributing to the suffering of his people.
It is difficult. In 1980, Bashir Gemayel had to do it to form the LF and it was not easy. But necessary if the suffering of the people is to end and Assad is to be removed.

Default-user-icon Danan (Guest) 08 March 2012, 18:25

There is an obvious sectarian divide in Syria and it would be foolish to not acknowledge it...the path to civil has already been taken and there is one already raging. The outcome depends on how strong and unified the opposition can get to defeat government forces and that seems to be a major issue at the moment for Ghalioun and co. Turkey and many western nations who have been outspoken against the regime, are not willing to recognize the SNC as a legitimate successor until it can unite all members of the opposition, something that has been elusive at this point and which has so far played into the regime's hands.

Default-user-icon Steve (Guest) 08 March 2012, 20:39

Once again the US is using Islamists like they used Osama Bin Laden in the 80's to to a reach a near sighted goal. As a Lebanese Chritian I pray that Assad remains in power to balance the Wahabbi and Salafi threat that is sweeping the Middle East.....look at Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.

Missing peace 08 March 2012, 21:12

those who praise the syrian regime and find them excuses for murdering innocent people are just accomplices and morally criminals too... no justification is valid for the crimes commited in syria, who can support a gvt killing its own people as if they were enemies and not syrians?
i wonder what would they say if the gvt bombs dahiye only because the people raise against the gvt? i guess they would accept it and find it normal to kill innocent people as long as they disagree with the regime :)

Missing vaclav_havel 08 March 2012, 21:40

Monsieur Le "syrian", en tant que Libanais et voisin je ne peux que déplorer la situation dans votre pays. Je suis libanais et humaniste et je condamne ce régime barbare et j’espère sincèrement voir une Syrie libre où règne la justice. J'ose espérer un jour une relation Libano-syrienne similaire à la relation Franco-Allemande si ce n'est pas pendant ma vie au moins pendant la vie de mes enfants.
Ne prête pas attention aux personnes soutenant un tyran parce qu'il sont aveugles, n'ont pas de principes et ne font que répéter les paroles de leurs chefs. Le pire c'est que ces personnes prétendent la sagesse.
L'histoire a bien un sens w ma bise7 2ella l sa7i7!!!

Thumb benzona 09 March 2012, 03:24

Gaminerie...

Thumb benzona 09 March 2012, 03:29

Better be bought by wahabi (Arabs like us) money than iranian (persian = foreigners) terrorists and fundamentalists.