Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass, member of Bashar Assad's inner circle, defects

Syrian Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass is seen in an undated file photo.

Updated at 11:59 a.m. Eastern

(CBS/AP) The defection of a member of the Syrian president's inner circle has dealt a blow to Bashar Assad just as the United States and its European partners are threatening new sanctions and the opposition is urging military intervention.

The U.S. Defense Department confirmed that Syrian Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass had defected and was heading to Turkey, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called his defection "a crack in the inner circle" for Assad.

As the son of longtime Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass, he was a member of the Syrian Baath Party aristocracy, part of a privileged class that flourished under the Assad dynasty.

A pro-government website with close links to Syrian intelligence and security circles syriasteps.com," accused Tlass of overseeing "terror" operations and claimed Syrian intelligence officials were well aware of his communications with external entities. According to the site, Syrian army units stormed the senior commander's home in the upscale Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus, emptied the home completely and confiscated documents, weapons and cars belonging to the fugitive general.

CBS News' George Baghdadi reports Tlass was a member of Assad's closest group of advisers. The two men had been friends since childhood. He is the highest-ranking military official to abandon Assad since the uprising in Syria began more than 15 months ago.

In Paris at the so-called Friends of Syria conference, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton hailed the defection of top military officials in Assad's inner circle, telling reporters that "regime insiders and the military establishment are starting to vote with their feet."

She said this shows that "those with the closest knowledge of Assad's actions and crimes are moving away. We think that's a very promising development. It also raises questions for those remaining in Damascus, who are still supporting this regime."

A member of Syria's opposition National Council, Hassem Hashimi, described Tlass as a powerful figure in the Assad regime. "The defection of Tlass will encourage a lot of similar people to defect as well," he told The Associated Press in Paris.

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About 100 delegations were meeting Friday in Paris at the conference, aimed at bolstering the Syrian resistance and pressing Syria's allies to discuss transition strategies for the embattled country after 16 months of brutal crackdowns and civil war.

The United States and its European partners are threatening new sanctions on Assad's regime if he doesn't act fast on a new peace plan, but the fractured and frustrated Syrian opposition is seeking quick military actions instead.

Hashimi, general secretary of the opposition Syrian National Council, said the international community is still moving too slowly.

Going into Friday's meeting, he said he hopes to see a "tough stand" by diplomats, and a no-fly zone to prevent military forces "flying over defected soldiers and civilians and bombarding them."

But military intervention is not on the immediate horizon. U.S. officials say they are focusing on economic pressure, and the Obama administration says it won't intervene militarily or provide weapons to the Syrian rebels for what it considers to be an already too-militarized conflict.

And Russia, a key Syrian ally, isn't taking part in Friday's conference.

The French hosts, meanwhile, have staked out a firm stance against Assad.

What's happening in Syria "is a threat for international peace and security," French President Francois Hollande said.

"Bashar Assad must leave. A transitional government should be formed. It's in everyone's interest," he said. He urged "real and effective" sanctions and urged all participants to pledge support for democratic opposition and organize effective humanitarian aid.

A U.N. resolution could be introduced next week, according to American officials who previewed Friday's gathering in Paris on condition of anonymity. But with neither Moscow nor Beijing in attendance, much will remain dependent on persuading the two reluctant powers to pressure Assad into action.

The objections of Russia and China also effectively watered down Annan's blueprint for transition at a conference in Geneva last weekend. It grants Assad an effective veto over any interim government candidate he opposes. The opposition would gain the same power.

Activists say more than 14,000 people have been killed since the revolt began.

[ObamasGuppies]

Assad, don't worry because Dictator Obama has your back. After he gets his as* kicked in November, he'll either join you there or his fellow Muslim Brotherhood members in Egpyt. Once a dictator, always a dictator.

[UForgotPoland]

derp.

[parkhere]

quit giving them Money to defect!

[LCCLYDE]

Something big is going on if a man of Tlass position and prominence is bailing.Logic says so.Assad is a coward.He knows there will be a reckoning over Houla and although a murderer I dont see him as a lunatic like Kaddaffi.He can get out now,save his family and enough of his wealth to lve out his life in exile.OR keep up the fight and watch it all come down around him and lose it all.In the end be a war criminal.If the opposition gets him it will be like Kaddaffi,Saddam and that wasn't pretty.Especially Kadaffi and his family? Can you remember Ousay and that other Hussaein brother.Kusay?bad...ended bad.

[Nikos_Retsos]

Manaf's father, Mustafa Tlass, has been a defense minister in Syria for decades, and a close friend of the late Hafez Assad. The loyalty of the Tlasses to the Assad family has been both historical and unbreakable. Manaf had probably realized now that there was no future for him in Syria, because Assad's future in Syria is coming to an end.

Assad told a Turkish newspaper in an interview that he "won't stay in Syria one more day - if he finds out that the Syrians don't want him!" My impression is that he has seen the writing in the wall, and he is already making plans to abdicate.

Hanaf, therefore, decided to jump out of his sinking ship early to save his skin. There is no doubt that when Assad flees Syria, his close advisers and supporters in the army will be hunted and killed for all the slaughter of civilians they have done in Syria.

I hope other Assad loyalists also see their grim future in Syria and get the hell out of there. The Assad Dynasty is already on its deathbed! Nikos Retsos, retired professor

[jmn122736]

Nikos_Retsos;
While your projected motive for Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass's defection is both logical and probable, I suspect the majority of the members of the Syrian forces (including generals) are made up of regular citizens just as the US armed forces are, and I like to think that many if not all American forces would revolt if they were faced with having to kill their own family members. Hopefully this is a part of what is happening in Syria now

[dayofrageindc]

Hillary is so disgusting. Why is it the US, that is controlled by Zionists, is now saying the violence must end while having introduced foreign elements into the theater of war and arming and supporting them with the CIA? Now that these Saudis are being killed, Saudi Arabia is mad that the US is leaving them in place to be slaughtered and pressuring the US to step in. Let them all die. It was the Saudis that attacked the US on 9/11, not any Iraqis or Syrians. Why are we fighting on the side of Al Qaedaq? Does Saudi Arabia control the US after Bush committed treason by being a Saudi stooge? What other reason could it be when the hijackers were all Saudis who attacked us on 9/11 and yet we attack the enemy of the Saudis for the 9/11 attack? This makes as much sense as attacking Canada for something a drug cartel in Mexico did. This proves the War on Terror is a scam and was done for Israeli interests. Now scum like HIllary want us to fight in Syria to appease the Zionists and create a proxy war between the US and Iran that will lead to a direct shooting war between the US and Iran. It will be great to see disciplined Hezbollah units being deployed against the cowardly Sunni fighters who can only kill unarmed civilians that the media then tries to blame on Assad. The US wants an end because it is losing. And, the US Revolutionary War had 2% of 30,000,000 people die for a total of 600,000. For Assad to kill 2% of his countrymen he would have had to slaughter 400,000 as opposed the only the 15,000 killed so far. How many more would Lincoln have exterminated to get his way? He would have killed EVERYONE if he needed to. People like the neocon Hillary worship Lincoln and do not care about the hundreds of thousands he killed, yet she acts like the 15,000 killed in Syria is such a huge slaughter when it represents less than a fraction of 1% of the slaughter by Lincoln. Let Assad clean up his country and do not allow the Zionists to manipulate the US into war with Iran. Neither the Saudis nor the Jews care about what would happen to the US. The mainstream media is nothing more than a Zionist psyops campaign headed by Reuters.

[karek40]

Lets see if your position holds water. 1. The U.S. removes Saddam Hussein from Iraq and radical muslims are taking control. 2. The U.S. supports the removal of Omar Kadafi in Lybia and radical muslims are taking control. Hillary and the U.S. support the removal of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and the muslim brotherhood (a radical muslim faction) has won the election. The U.S. is supporting the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and a radical muslim group will take power there. The stated goal of Islam is the elimination of all Jews in the world. So it appears the motive behind our governments actions is not Zionist at all but favors the Islamic governments. Doesn't hold water!

[melpol12]

General Tiass flees Syria. American doors should be opened for defectors from totalitarian regimes. Chinese generals must be offered a million dollars to abandon Beijing and move to NYCs Chinatown, they will love the noodles.

[dayofrageindc]

Hillary is so disgusting. Why is it the US, that is controlled by Zionists, is now saying the violence must end while having introduced foreign elements into the theater of war and arming and supporting them with the CIA? Now that these Saudis are being killed, Saudi Arabia is mad that the US is leaving them in place to be slaughtered and pressuring the US to step in. Let them all die. It was the Saudis that attacked the US on 9/11, not any Iraqis or Syrians. Why are we fighting on the side of Al Qaedaq? Does Saudi Arabia control the US after Bush committed treason by being a Saudi stooge? What other reason could it be when the hijackers were all Saudis who attacked us on 9/11 and yet we attack the enemy of the Saudis for the 9/11 attack? This makes as much sense as attacking Canada for something a drug cartel in Mexico did. This proves the War on Terror is a scam and was done for Israeli interests. Now scum like HIllary want us to fight in Syria to appease the Zionists and create a proxy war between the US and Iran that will lead to a direct shooting war between the US and Iran. It will be great to see disciplined Hezbollah units being deployed against the cowardly Sunni fighters who can only kill unarmed civilians that the media then tries to blame on Assad. The US wants an end because it is losing. And, the US Revolutionary War had 2% of 30,000,000 people die for a total of 600,000. For Assad to kill 2% of his countrymen he would have had to slaughter 400,000 as opposed the only the 15,000 killed so far. How many more would Lincoln have exterminated to get his way? He would have killed EVERYONE if he needed to. People like the neocon Hillary worship Lincoln and do not care about the hundreds of thousands he killed, yet she acts like the 15,000 killed in Syria is such a huge slaughter when it represents less than a fraction of 1% of the slaughter by Lincoln. Let Assad clean up his country and do not allow the Zionists to manipulate the US into war with Iran. Neither the Saudis nor the Jews care about what would happen to the US. The mainstream media is nothing more than a Zionist psyops campaign headed by Reuters.

[tmittelstaed]

This isn't about Obama this is about Syrian upper officials realizing that revolution and regime change is inevitable and that if they bail out now they will likely not end up in front of a firing squad later.

Assad is probably in the midst of secret negotiations now to step down and exit to some Arab country. My guess is that Tlass was monitoring those negotiations and found out that Assad was going to throw him and the rest of the officials under the bus, and got while the getting was good.

This is the beginning of the end.

[robert1129]

As hard as it is to maintain, this would validate Obama's doctrine of not going into this sort of thing alone. There will be many more defections from Assad's inner circle as it becomes more and more evident that they are on a sinking ship and that their actions will be held accountable.