STRATOR today reported that “The deputy chief of Syrian air force intelligence in Deir el-Zour, Brig. Gen. Nasr Mustafa, defected to the Free Syrian Army on Aug. 2, 2012. The defection is significant because Mustafa is an Alawite — as is Syrian President Bashar al Assad, who needs unity among this religious sect to retain power. Losing Mustafa suggests the regime likewise may be losing control of its Alawite-dominated intelligence and security apparatus.

Meanwhile, the regime may be growing more desperate as its offensive against Aleppo continues.”

While the end of the Assad regime is not imminent, he is not likely to end up in a foxhole like Saddam Hussein or be arrested like Hosni Mubarrak. Hopefully we will learn that Assad has left the country with his family, probably moving to Russia.

While the Struggle for Syria Intensifies

It seems a pity that the Obama administration has made the decision to seek UN approval for any overseas military activity, and in this process cedes US sovereignty to an organization that is essentially controlled by the Security Council (with Russia and China blocking any action on Syria) and with 120 of the 194 member states run by dictators. The last thing they want to see is any country meddling in their “internal affairs”. Meanwhile, Syrian citizens are dying by the thousands.

Byron K Varme
Executive Director