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SANA via EPA
A picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency shows policemen inspecting the damage at the state-run Syrian TV building in Damascus after a bomb ripped through its third floor.
AMMAN, Jordan - Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has defected to the opposition seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad, a spokesman for Hijab said Monday, marking one of the most high-profile desertions from the Damascus government.
Syrian state TV said Hijab had been fired, but an official source in Amman told Reuters that the dismissal followed his defection to neighboring Jordan with his family.
Khaled Al-Hariri / Reuters, file
Syrian television reported on Monday that Prime Minister Riyad Hijab had been fired. His purported spokesman said he had defected to Jordan.
"I announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution. I announce that I am from today a soldier in this blessed revolution," Hijab said in a statement read in his name by Mohammad Otari, who identified himself as Hijab's spokesman, on Al Jazeera television.
Ahmad Kassim, a senior official with the Free Syrian Army, told The Associated Press that Hijab defected to Jordan along with three other ministers.
"Don't be scared. Defect from this criminal regime," Otari said in the televised statement, urging other Syrians to join the defecting ministers.
Otari denied that his boss had been fired, and added that the defection was planned "for months" and was executed in conjunction with the Free Syrian Army, the main armed opposition group in Syria.
The news follows other high-level defections -- including that of Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas -- and deaths of the country's defense minister and as well as his powerful brother-in-law in a bomb blast in Damascus in July.
A bomb rips through Syria's state television building in Damascus, while the country is also rocked by the news of the Prime Minister's defection to the opposition. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
From restive Deir al-Zour
Syrian state TV announced Hijab's dismissal as government forces appeared to prepare a ground assault to clear battered rebels from Aleppo, the country's biggest city.
Journalist: British militants took me hostage in Syria
Assad appointed Hijab, a former agriculture minister, as prime minister only in June following a parliamentary election that authorities said was a step toward political reform but which opponents dismissed as a sham.
"Hijab is in Jordan with his family," said the Jordanian official source, who did not want to be further identified. The source told Reuters that Hijab had defected to Jordan before the announcement that he was fired.
NBC News
People resisting the army of President Bashar al-Assad in northern Syria cope with loss and prepare for fighting.
Hijab is a Sunni Muslim from Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria, which has been caught up in the revolt, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Syrian TV said Omar Ghalawanji, who was previously a deputy prime minister, had been appointed to lead a temporary caretaker government on Monday.
Earlier in the day, a bomb blast hit the Damascus headquarters of Syria's state broadcaster as troops backed by fighter jets kept up an offensive against the last rebel bastion in the capital.
In villages across Syria there is great concern for the city of Aleppo, where the violence seen in the last few days could be nothing compared to what's coming. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
The bomb exploded on the third floor of the state television and radio building, state TV said. However, while the rebels may have struck a symbolic blow in their 17-month-old uprising against Assad, Information Minister Omran Zoabi said none of the injuries was serious, and state TV continued broadcasting.
Rebels in districts of Aleppo visited by Reuters journalists seemed battered, overwhelmed and running low on ammunition after days of intense tank shelling and helicopter gunships strafing their positions with heavy machinegun fire.
Machine guns operated by motorcycle brakes? Get a glimpse at the rebels fighting against Assad's forces in Syria's mountainous Jabal al-Zawiya area.
Audacious attack
Emboldened by the audacious bomb attack in Damascus that killed four of Assad's top security officials last month, the rebels had tried to overrun the Damascus and Aleppo, the country's commercial hub.
But the lightly armed rebels have been outgunned by the Syrian army's superior weaponry. They were largely driven out of Damascus and are struggling to hold on to territorial gains made in Aleppo, a city of 2.5 million.
Damascus has criticized Gulf Arab states and Turkey for calling for the rebels to be armed, and state TV has described the rebels as "Turkish-Gulf militia," saying dead Turkish and Afghan fighters had been found in Aleppo.
Paralysis in the U.N. Security Council over how to stop the bloodshed forced peace envoy Kofi Annan to resign last week, his ceasefire plan a distant memory.
Activists report mortars hitting a Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital. Meanwhile, Turkey has been holding military drills along its border with Syria. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
The violence has already shown elements of a proxy war between Sunni and Shiite Islam which could spill beyond Syria's border.
The rebels claimed responsibility for capturing 48 Iranians in Syria, forcing Tehran to call on Turkey and Qatar -- major supporters of the rebels -- to help secure their release.
Iran asks for help after dozens of pilgrims kidnapped in Syria
On Monday, Syrian army tanks shelled alleyways in Aleppo where rebels sought cover a helicopter gunship fired heavy machinegun fire.
Photojournalist John Cantlie tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy of the UK's Channel 4 News about the terrifying week he was held captive in Syria by radical Islamic militants, some of them British.
Snipers ran on rooftops targeting rebels, and one of them shot at a rebel car filled with bombs, setting the vehicle on fire. Women and children fled the city, some crammed in the back of pickup trucks, while others walked on foot, heading to relatively safer rural areas.
Aleppo gateway
The main focus of fighting in Aleppo has been the Salaheddine district, a gateway into the city. One shell hit a building next to the Reuters reporting team, pouring rubble on to the street and sending billows of smoke and dust into the sky.
State television said Assad's forces were "cleansing the terrorist filth" from the country, which has been sucked into an increasingly sectarian conflict that has killed about 18,000 people and could spill into neighboring states.
The army appeared to be using a similar strategy in Aleppo to the one used in other cities where they subjected opposition districts to heavy bombardment for days, weakening the rebels before moving in on the ground, clearing district by district.
Syria's two main cities had been relatively free of violence until last month when fighters poured into them, transforming the war. The government largely repelled the assault on Damascus but has had more difficulty recapturing Aleppo.
Explosions shake Syria capital as rebels renew attack
Rebel commanders say they anticipate a major Syrian army offensive in Aleppo and one fighter said they had already had to pull back from some streets after army snipers advanced on Saturday under cover of the fierce aerial and tank bombardment.
Rebels and regime forces continue their fight to control Syria's largest city. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
"The Syrian army is penetrating our lines," Mohammad Salifi, a 35-year-old former government employee. "So we were forced to strategically retreat until the shelling ends," he said, adding the rebels were trying to push the army back again.
Late Sunday rebels clashed with the army in Aleppo's south-eastern Nayrab district, a fighter who called himself Abu Jumaa said.
The army responded by shelling eastern districts. There were also clashes on the southern ring road, which could be a sign the army was preparing to surround the city.
Reuters, The Associated Press and NBC News staff contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
The uprising obama suports is working out so well for the people of Syria. Nov. can't get here soon enough as americans can't wait to vote out the inept obama clan.
Personally, I doubt Obama will do anything involving Syria. While the US in general doesn't like Assad, we aren't going to march in anytime soon. Will we? Not on our own. If we do, whoever is president at the time is just too idiotic. The Middle East is at war, and we need to only worry about securing the assets, mostly oil, so we can worry about us.
I would say worry about Israel, yet they seem to be handling themselves with what help we give them. Just hope the US doesn't stick its head where it doesn't belong. We made that mistake with Iraq. Anyone else agree? If not, voice your opinion. Just be civil please.
Yes, Obama has authorized the CIA to support the rebels. However, that support is limited. No Weapons! We'll let others (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Sunni countries, etc..) BUY the weapons from us, and give them to the rebels. Yep, we're staying out of it...... riiiight.
America sold 60 BILLION in arms to Saudi Arabia last year in the biggest arms deal in history.....
That is why this guy defected...he knows he is on the losing side now...
Russia and China do not have the industrial military complex America has...
Make no mistake...this is MODERN cold war and the "losing" guys know when the ship is sinking and are bailing like rats.
As for anything Obama...(in comment to the original poster) .... Obama's foreign policy proves he is clueless. Obama thinks we are a democracy when we are a REPUBLIC.
My advice about this "defection"... arrest and detain indefinably. This rat saw the writing on the wall and decided it was a good time to leave... should've got out sooner rather than wait it out.
Inept is Romney criticizing the Brits on the Olympics.
Obama has shining credentials on foreign policy.
Syria is at civil war, we have no business there.
It's good news that there are more defections.
Oh Eric ...BURN! Olivia just roasted you.....
This is so ridiculous, next we will read "Bashar Assad today has announced his defection to the rebels to help overthrow the regime now in its 18th month of uprising"
Over there, it doesnt matter who governs, just as long as they are on the winning side. Im sure this PM was all gunhoe about the killing of civilians, up until he realized his side is going to lose. If you cant beat em, join em - I guess.
Amazing, an article on the uprising in Syria elicits political up-chucking of vile comments toward the U.S. presidential candidates. Give it a rest.
I think Obama should just park a few ships off the Mediterranean and launch a few hundred missiles into the airports were all the gunships and jets are taking off from. Level the rebels fighting chances. What is China and Russia going to do declare war on us??
So now maybe the Syrians owe us: we can collect when we have to depose our dictator Obama.
Shosyn
If anything she said were true you might be right. But......
Bashar Al Assad is losing more and more of his grip on the regime. He and his trophy wife have gone into hiding where he can rule via email, so not even his 'closest confidants' can find him -- and turn him over to the rebels. Russian warships are due in Syria soon, Iranian revolutionary guard spies have been kidnapped and the US is sending cash 'under the table' to the rebels, now that Al Qaida is sticking their fingers in the pie. Syria will be a real mess for years to come, so it is still best to keep foreign troops out -- even though Iran and Russia already have boots on the ground there. The world is waiting for China to send Assad a wad of cash to bolster his butchering of Syrian citizens.
Well, they might as well send the $ to the United Snakes (al-Qaeda division) 'rebel's FEDEX overnight since they are being financed out of the Pentagon and Jerusalem.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I guess he thinks the radicals who will rise up and assume power will assign him a cushy leadership position. LOL, poor SOB is in for a huge disappointment if he thinks he has the inside track in a new Muslim Brotherhood regime or any regime that may be ran by proxy by the Ayatollah.
Looks like the sotto capos are re-aligning their loyalties now that the godfather has gone to the mattresses.
He probably also needed to fatten and hide his bank account before he could defect. You can be sure he is lookin gout for his self preservation and not the interest or in sympathy of the people.
Give him a rifle, send him to the front.
Are all these muslems going to REBUILD their destroyed countries?.....or will it be the Brits and Americans again?
Probably a bit of support from the UN, not likely to be just one nation. US doesn't seem to have much interest in Syria in ways of resources.
the americans do not need to get involved rebuilding,and keep the money at home. we can borrow so much money !
Good, just one step closer to government shutdown. But than again I hear that AL-Quida to trying to startto help the opposition. Looks like it's one step closer to AL-Quida rule. But the world doesn't seem to care about 911.
rfrisch....i care very much about 911. we were attacked on our soil. the many lives that were lost that day. never forget!
WTC? Yup, financing Jewish terrorism has been an expensive lesson for the Great Satan - a lesson it has yet to learn and probably never will until the Taliban freedom fighters land in NYC and take care of the predator Jewish banksters on Wall Street themselves, thereafter, becoming American hero's!!!!!
Really? If this is what you think of the US, why are you even here? Just leave and go to Pakistan where you will fit right in.
The higher ups are dropping like flies... Assad will look around and find he has has no support :-(
someone needs to take 50 cal. barrett and clean this guy head! could stand off a ways and do it. just saying.
SEMPER FI
DANNY P
Semper Fi, huh? Aren't you the guyz that committed the Haditha massacres (Massacring 24 women and children) and then a bunch of equally war criminal higher up officers on the jury at Fort Pendelton let the USMC killers 'walk?' Better change your 'handle' to war criminals in recovery from PTSD, Inc., huh?
@AZCowboy: You are a gutless wonder hiding behind a flat screen. You don't have the testicles to say that to marine55's face - or from within a couple thousand yards.
They are defecting because they think they will be seen as a supporter of the new government. Those that stay will probably be tried and executed or they may just leave out the trial part. OK guys it's everyman for himself.
Here's a idea. Instead of the U.N. or NATO rebuilding this 4th century country, let's let their comrades in Russia and China rebuild their tent city
i like that idea.
Oh, but then how would the bankrupt United Snakes (US/Israel/NATO) steal all the goodies unless they are 'on top' of the victim, suffocating him to a premature death as we saw in Iraq, Libya and now Syria with Iran coming up?
The bankrupt US/NATO killers, oil thieves and serial baby killers couldn't rebuild a chicken coop in Selma, Alabama, dude!
@TheAZCowboy: Shouldn't you be making an appointment with a shrink rather than posting on the internet?
I find it highly ironic that Iran wants help with their hostages. Yeah right. Hold your breath Iran. We will be right there to help in 500 some days.
You we are good at building countries , but not before we help destroying them . we did that in Iraq , Japan , Vietnam, Libya and now Syria , these thugs are destroying Syria on the orders of the Saudis and Qataris with the arming of the US ,NATO , and Turkey , This guy defecting does not mean anything , he is a Sunni Muslim from Dir Al Zour Assad assigned to his position trying to please these Sunni extremists in Syria , so he is no supporter to the regime to start with , and I am sure that the Qataris and Saudis are running out of options , so now they are trying desperately to get all their sleeping cells to defect or do something , if these freedom fighters care about Syria and democracy and human lives , Why are they attacking civilians cites and killing the civilians that work for the government ?/? IT WILL BE LIKE SOME BODY DO NOT LIKE Obama AND KILLING PEOPLE THAT WORK IN COURT HOUSES AND WATER COMPANIES , These guys are nothing but thugs , just like the ones that attacked us on 9/11 , same leaders ( Saudis and Qataris and Bahrain ) the only different now , they are supported by the US and NATO . ITS STRANGE HOW THINGS CHANGE . You know speaking of rebuilding friend of mine said to me after the Iraqi war , look we building power plants and school and roads for them , you know what I told him , Buddy they had all that before we attacked them , Iraq was one of the richest countries in that region and that's why Israel did not want them to be strong , and we did their work for them , just like we are about to do in Iran .
This is a tuff fight for the rebellion. Just the fact that they are attempting to topple a heavily armed government with nothing more than rocket launchers and AK 47s from the back of small pick up trucks and Pathfinders is pretty impressive. Most would need armoured vehicles to mount such an assault. That they still have access to fuel alone to keep their vehicles moving is pretty impressive. It just shows what a small army can do with a little determination and you don't need much to overthrow a govenment. Maybe some day when Washington needs to be overthrown the common man can all band together and overthrow the government in this country..
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
Well TRAIN COMING Yuo sound like you have little rebel in you buddy , these thugs are not helpless , they have the Saudis , Qataris , Turkey , NATO and the US ARMING THEM AND TRAINING THEM , So they are not your poor average rebels , they are your Alqaida and Muslim brother hood , and you better hope these thugs never come here and you better hope none of us stoop down to start killing civilians and destroy a country like these thugs doing . you know Russia and the US are the mightiest armies , but these Taliban on their jack ass as a tank and old weapons gave them lots of trouble , discipline armies can not fight these thugs , because they have nothing to lose and they are getting paid to fight and steal , so do not give them too much credit , the Syrian army should do like we do , send their air force and bomb these thugs back to Saudi and Qatar and Turkey and quit trying to fight them in the streets , believe it or not the Syrian army trying to save their cities from destruction's , but these thugs do not care and that's how the Syrian should do , Bomb them to hell , then rebuild their country . THE CHRISTIANS GETTING SLAUGHTERED THERE WHILE ALL THESE EUROPEANS CHRISTIAN COUNTRIES ARE HELPING THESE THUGS .
Autocrats must die!
Assad will have to fight to the death because if he surrenders (not likely) he will be killed in any event. Just look at Libya and Iraq.
Tomorrow's headline: "Assad defects to the rebel side". It'd be funny if 20,000 didn't die for this idiocy.
Pretty soon there is not going to be anyone left in the Syrian government except Assad himself, and then he is going to have to face the opposition in a battle of fisticuffs. Come out swinging and may the best man win!
Amazing what a few suit cases full of wrinkled (Chinese treasury warehoused) US dollars will do for the 'Chalabi' wannabe traitors in the Syrian government, huh? All 'promised' high positions in a new Syrian government by the United Snakes (much of the promises never destined to see the light of day) if they will 'Just stab their leader in the back!' Oh my, how impressive this Great Satan and his Jewish hemmorhoid are in trying to make the Middle East safer for Jewish terrorrism and US imperialism. I say the United Snakes (US/IsreHELL/NATO) get their 'tits-in-the-wringer,' as Assad's Russian Mil-8 helicopter gunships tear them Libyan terrorist al-Qaeda (Civilian massacring) rats to 'ribbons' and the Russian and Chinese send them enough S-300 anti-airacaft/anti-cruise missile missle systems (Remember the (((ripped))) apart Turkish F-4E spy plane incident?) and other advanced cruise missiles to make the bankrupt NATO oil thieves (Think Libya?) think twice about (((grabbing))) the venomous Assad scorpian by the tail. Hey, MF'er's you got away with the rape of Libya and stole a trillion barrel's of sweet crude while murdering some 50,000 of the Libyans you said you were there to save, remember, lying liars?) - But, don't think this will be another 'walk-over.' Stay tuned, Pilgrims.....
Cowboy ......settle down ......you're starting to scare the children. Lol
Can any country in the world ever take credit for what they are doing. There are always clowns like you that think we do it all. Go back to whatever country spawned you Mr. Wannabee Cowboy.
AZCowboy: Okay BIG MOUTH. It's time for you to put up or shut up because I am going to call your loud mouth, ignorant bluff. You come up with all these statements only an ignoramous can make, then move on and make another elsewhere.
Let's start with your claim about our killing 50,000 Libyians. PROVE IT!!! PUT UP OR CHUT UP!!!!
Just another rat deserting the sinking ship.
Exactly.....Of course now that they are about to be dragged through the streets by the rebels.
I hope Assad sends these rebels back where they came from ( Saudi , Qatar , Baharin , Chechnya , Tunisia and all these no good Alqaida thugs holes . )
@myturn: Are you saying you want Assad to survive this. Just seeking some clarity here.
Susie Cue you hit the nail on the head. It's funny, they were all Assad's pals and joined in the gravy train until it all went bad. Now they can't jump ship fast enough. You know if it had gone the other way they would wield the knife themselves when it came time to behead the rebel leaders. All the while telling each other how patriotic they were.
These Assad fat cats are like rats on a sinking ship. They are jumping off their boat and swimming as fast as they can for the rebels. Just look at the photo of the latest deserter. Doesn't appear as though he's missed too many meals. Compare his to most of the street fighters pics. Big difference. I hope they give him a bullet for his troubles. He wants a piece of the newest pie on the table, looking out for his own ass first. Loser.
Syria slowly going the way of Libya and Assad the same as Moamar I'm sure.... There's no reason for Obama to involve the USA more than the little we already are. Let the locals and Europeans do heavy lifting for a change.
The rats are jumping ship!