Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab defected from President Bashar al-Assad’s government on Monday, saying he wanted to join “the revolution.”
“I address you today at this grave hour where the country is living under the brunt of genocide and barbarian brutal killing against unarmed people who are simply demanding freedom and a dignified life,” ran Mr Hijab’s statement read by his spokesman, Mohammed el-Etri
“Today I declare…that I have defected from the terrorist, murderous regime and [am] joining the holy revolution. And I declare that from today I am a soldier of this holy revolution.”
Hijab, a Sunni Muslim from eastern Syria where much of the fighting has taken place, was appointed less than two months ago and his departure follows a number of other high profile defections last month. Syria’s state-run news agency claimed Hijab had been fired.
Hijab also said the Assad regime was in it’s “last throes” and that he would work to “rebuild a Syria of the future, a Syria without Bashar al-Assad,” the latter comment an indication that he may be vying for some sort of leadership role in the event of any political transition or ousting of Assad.
The US and its allies have adopted regime change by proxy as official policy in Syria, despite widespread crimes by the rebels and even links to al-Qaeda. Defections from the regime are always touted in the Western media as an indication that their efforts are effective and that ‘Assad must go.’ But the danger of the power vacuum likely to result from Assad’s ouster has not been duly acknowledged by the US, who seems so eager to exploit the conflict in Syria that they are even tolerating supporting al-Qaeda.
"Hijab, a Sunni Muslim from eastern Syria where much of the fighting has taken place, was appointed less than two months ago and his departure follows a number of other high profile defections last month”.
That shows the mentality of the Sunnis, he was given a position to make peace with sunnis who have declared war on Syrian people and its government, he was not succeeded on that front nor any other matters, in the end he was left with two option…, to resign which would have shown the fact that these people don’t want any peace but are only after what their masters are saying.., and second to show his loyalty to his masters in Saudi Arabia and Qatari tyrants where he is. If he was of any importance to the Syrian government or for that matter the Syrian people he would have stayed and worked harder for peace convincing the “rebels” about the peace and Syrian constitutional changes then running away, but most of these people are after a bigger pay and bigger title so they joining the rank that might give them that, in this case.., who is better then Saudis or Qatari's Tyrants.
You really are pathetic. The Assad family knows only killing and power. This site is like a bad joke.
Keep drinking the Assad Kool Aid and get a 20 thumbs up from your fellow lemming readers. That includes the pathetic Raimondo who writes from the safety of SF while people are massacred. Why don't you wave his articles in the air for the Shabiha…
You ARE a fool Larrry.
And I guess those Jihadists Youtube rebel videos which they themselves posted showing wanton executions with the Al-Qaeda flag flapping in the background is what the Syiran people want and need right? If you think Raimondo, Ditz or any other anti-war.com columnists have been "drinking Assad's Kool-aid" then you either have a reading comprehension problem or frequent this site very little.
This guy is really funny: "I address you today at this grave hour where the country is living under the brunt of genocide and barbarian brutal killing against unarmed people".
Which unarmed people does this guy means? Syrian and actually international jihad supported by US, GB, and all of theirs allies from Sunni dictatorships and even Al Queda are now armed to their teeth.
This is probably result of killing of Sunni al Bari tribe in Allepo and also heafty payoff by Saudia or Quatar monarchs.
Of course he was bought off! The same thing happened in Libya. As you pointed out, his parting statement was pretty comical.
It's said that he's banking on having a poitiont in a post-Assad Syria, but I'm willing to bet that he could care less, just as long as he and his family can live someplace in complete opulence.
It seems that everyone is for sale at the right price.
Someone has a lot of new money in their Swiss bank accounts tonight.
you are right. US bribery is strong. I found this video interviwe, where USA did bribe Libyan tribes to stop Gaddafi support
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZKA0F0XQDI
I found the 'story' of Riad Hijab's alleged rise to PM interesting myself…. According to Mr. Hajib's spokesman, Mohammad Otari:
"The criminal Assad pressed him to become a prime minister and left him no choice but to accept the position. He had told him: `You either accept the position or get killed,'"
http://www.startribune.com/world/165112096.html?p…
Typical Assad…
Sounds familiar though…didn't George W. Bush do the same to **** Cheney before the 2000 Presidential election?
Anyway…it's only logical to want someone to serve under death threat while having access to State secrets and relatively free access to other top regime officials… My guess is that Assad's Bodyguards have also been given this 'ultimatum'.
Anyway..if I'd been Mr. Otari, in order to make the story a 'bit' more believable and dramatic, I would have claimed Assad threatened to kill Mr. Hijab's children instead of going with personal death threat line… Adding children into the equation accomplishes a number of things:
1. It would have eliminated any possible questions of cowardice (if believed that is).
2. The idea of threatening children would have made Assad look even more like a monster.
3. It may even have had the bonus effect of creating the perception Mr. Hijab is a family man, who would suffer through even the worst of conditions for their well being (this could come in handy in down the road in the way of achieving his obvious future political ambitions).
Oh well…the excuse provided seemed effective enough for all intents and purposes….
I guess we'll just have to see how this plays out for Mr. Hijab in the end….though,he is definitely safe from the NATO sorties now…
And you believe this?
Actually, what most dictators and tyrants want in key top positions is loyalty. They tend to pick people they can trust and whom they know will be loyal to them, even if they end up being incompetent. Someone you have to threaten to kill to take the position usually isn't on the short list to begin with.
So, who knows. It might actually be true. But considering that it comes from someone who's left the regime and who is now making propaganda statements for the regime's opponents, I'd take these statements with a dry lake bed full of salt.
And you believe this?
Tarlor,
I am going to turn this around and 'answer a question with a question':
Based on my post, what do you think?
Sorry to bumb in, but "pressed him to become a prime minister" alone is total nonsense only such cheap spam media can write. Such things are never possible everywhere and the treat to be killed makes itz even more nonsense.
This alone, is pure evidence, that this is just an idiotic fake.
"I have defected from a terrorist, murderous regime and am joining an equally terrorist, muderous, HOLY revolution."
He simply wants to be the new Syrian leader.
He is a Sunni. He was brought in by Assad as part of the process towards a peaceful settlement. Given the Sunni intransigence and the lack of compliance with Anan's peace process by the so-called FSA, he was sacked by Assad.
The rebels are now a perfect match for those in Libya – part authentic 'Arab Spring', part opportunistic defectors and part al Qaeda supporters (extreme Sunni sect originating in Saudi Arabia). The authentic part will have the least significant amount of control and influence when the US/NATO/GCC supported bloodbath ceases.
This is the proof, that it is a fake:
He should have stated: "genocide and barbarian brutal killing against unarmed people who are simply demanding freedom and a dignified life,” ran Mr Hijab’s statement "
Any Syrian, and actually even any heavily fooled listerner of western media knows that they are
1. no unarmed people and
2. NOT demanding freedom, but Sharia rule.
How can one use BBC as source to fabricate such articles here?
Such primitive cheap manipulators, taking any dubious activist news as real?
Samples:
Syria – The Media Lies of Aljazeera & the BBC – Shoruk