Nabil El-Arabi Damascus, Cairo – Agencies A high-ranking Syrian official announced on Wednesday his defection from the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Mahmoud Sleiman Hajj Hamad, head inspector at the Syrian Defense Ministry and first inspector at the Monetary Center of the Interior Ministry, told Al-Jazeera television that he split from the regime.
Hamad stated, in a press conference held in Cairo, that the regime spent two billion Syrian pounds on thugs to kill protesters. He added that the regime “receives financial support from Iraq and Iran.”
In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Hamad stated that his splitting from the regime is a “natural reaction for any free Syrian,” pointing out that there are many officers who want to defect from the regime but fear for their families.
“The entire Syrian government is in prison, none of its members are able to move without security elements… they all want to defect but are afraid for the families,” he added.
Hamad stressed that the Syrian security forces are fully responsible for killing protesters, explaining that there are three forces in charge of killing people; Military Intelligence, General Intelligence department including all its sub departments, and Air Force Intelligence.
On a different note, The Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi stressed the League's commitment to the Arab monitors mission in Syria, rejecting calls for withdrawal of observers from Syria.
In press statement at the AL headquarters in Cairo, al-Arabi said "We have a one-month mission and we are committed to it in front of the Syrian government. Up till now, we want to evaluate the situation once we receive the report of the head of the Arab observer mission in Syria, Gen. Mohammad Ahmad Al Dabi."
Regarding the meeting of the Arab Ministerial Follow-up Committee on the situation in Syria scheduled on Sunday, al-Arabi said the meeting will look into the performance of the observers after one week of carrying out their missions in different Syrian cities and areas in order to evaluate the situation.
In a press conference, head of the Arab League observer mission to Syria operating room Ambassador Adnan al-Khudeir affirmed that no-one can evaluate the success or lack thereof at the current time, and that this issue can only be decided by the Arab League Council.
Al-Khudeir said that the upcoming meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee will discuss the situation according the information provided in the report which will be submitted in a few days by head of the observer mission, Mohammad al-Dabi.
He also stressed that the mission is still carrying out its tasks as stipulated by the protocol signed by Syria and the Arab League.