Syria ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf al-Fares, defects from Assad's regime

A still from a Youtube video shows Ambassador to Iraq Nawaf al-Fares announcing his defection from Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the ruling Baath party. / Youtube

Updated at 5:10 a.m. Eastern.

(CBS/AP) Syria's ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf al-Fares, announced on Wednesday he has defected from President Bashar Assad's government, and will be supporting the opposition.

Al-Fares said in a video statement posted online that he decided to make the switch after what he described as a horrible massacre carried out by the Assad regime.

"I announced my resignation as Syrian ambassador to Iraq as I also declare my defection from the Syrian Baath party," al-Fares said in the video statement.

The defection represents another major blow to Assad and his attempt to quash the 16-month-old uprising against his rule. CBS News' Khaled Wassef reports that al-Fares is from Deir Ezzor, an area which has become the scene of major military operations to hunt down army defectors in recent weeks. He previously served as governor of Qunaitara, Lattakia and Idlib - the capital of the Idlib province, which has become a firm opposition stronghold - before becoming Syria's top diplomat in Baghdad in 2008.

Al-Fares' defection could be the sign of a coming wave of high-level defections, Syrian opposition members told al Jazeera. The Arabic satellite channel conducted an extensive interview with al-Fares about his defection, which was to air Thursday afternoon.

The diplomat's abandonment of Assad's regime comes close on the heels of another top-level defection. Last week, Brigadier General Manaf Tlass, a long-time friend and member of Assad's inner circle, fled Damascus with his family.

Brig. Gen. Tlass not 1st from his powerful family to defect

Bassam Imadi, the former Syrian ambassador to Sweden, defected this past December.

Officials with the Syrian opposition and the Turkish government say hundreds of Syrian soldiers have defected and either sought refuge across the border, or joined in the fight against Assad's forces inside Syria since the uprising began.

[tomnjerry527]

Bush wasted many taxpayer dollars to invade and overthrow Iraq. Obama used the airforce to do the same thing in Libya! And we used our influene in Egypt and a few other Mid-Eastern countries. All we have done is to bring to power Islamic fundamentalist terrori$t who hate Americans! We are our own worst enemies!

[john5673]

TOO BAD; US IS CONVERTING SYRIA INTO ANOTHER IRAQ!
The way, America and the West are pressing Syrian diplomats and generals (mostly Sunnis) to defect and support Sunni up rise financed by the wahabi Saudis and Jihadis, soon; Syria;s sectarian War will convert in to a civil war between the two race; one will be financed and weaponry help of the hard core Turkey and Saudis and Libyans jihadis and the others will be Russia and China and Iran. It will continue for decades involving several other surrogates including Lebanon and Iraq. But bottom line; Israel will be the biggest beneficial of these human tragedy. Looks like it has gone too far, no one even can stop it. It will be a greatest human tragedy carried out under the Obama-Hillary watch and whole heartily support.