Beirut: Syria’s most prominent defector said in an interview that was aired on Monday that he opposes any foreign military intervention in the country’s civil war and that he is confident the opposition can topple President Bashar Al Assad’s regime.
But Manaf Tlass, a Syrian general who was the first member of Al Assad’s inner circle to join the opposition, said the rebels need weapons.
“The Syrian people must not be robbed of their victory, they must be given support, aid, arms,” Tlass said in a recorded interview that was aired on Monday on French television station BFM.
He called on outside powers to give the opposition “all the aid and support” needed to topple Al Assad.
Foreign military intervention, however, “could not provide a solution” to the conflict, he said. The uprising against Al Assad’s regime began in March 2011 with mostly peaceful protests against the family dynasty that has ruled Syria for four decades. But the battle has transformed into a civil war, and activists estimate that at least 23,000 people have been killed.
Deep suspicion
Tlass’ defection in July was hailed as a resounding triumph by many Syrian opposition activists. But many in the opposition are deeply suspicious of Tlass, saying he is just trying to vault to power. In the weeks after he abandoned the regime, Tlass began touring regional powers to garner support for the uprising.
“My role is to unify, bring together my people, that is my role,” he said in Monday’s interview.
Tlass, who is in his 40s, is the son of former defence minister Mustafa Tlass, who was the most trusted lieutenant of the late Hafez Al Assad, the president’s father and predecessor.
Although the Al Assad regime has been hit by a string of defections, the inner circle has remained remarkably ironclad over the course of the conflict. Still, the government has not been able to crush the rebellion, leading to a murderous grind.
