The defection of Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass, confirmed by the French foreign minister, is the first from within the gilded circle around President Bashir al-Assad of Syria since the uprising began.
By DAN BILEFSKY, ALAN COWELL and NEIL MacFARQUHAR, New York Times
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 6:16am
The defection of Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass, confirmed by the French foreign minister, is the first from within the gilded circle around President Bashir al-Assad of Syria since the uprising began.