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Syrian minister joins opposition
Friday March 09, 2012 08:10:35 AM,
RIA Novosti
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Moscow:
Syria's deputy oil minister has announced his defection, saying he
was joining the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, Al
Jazeera TV reported.
"I, Abdo Hussameldin, deputy oil and mineral wealth minister in
Syria, announce my defection from the regime, resignation from my
position and withdrawal from the Baath Party. I am joining the
revolution of the people who reject injustice and the brutal
campaign of the regime," Hussameldin said in a video posted on
YouTube.
Hussameldin is the highest ranking civilian official to abandon
al-Assad since the unrest began a year ago.
He also accused Russia and China of backing al-Assad, and said
they were "partners in the killing of the Syrian people".
The two countries had vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on
Syria, saying it was "unbalanced" and did not contain measures
against armed opposition groups.
More than 7,500 people have been killed in violence in Syria over
the past 12 months, according to the UN.
Hussameldin's announcement came after US Defence Secretary Leon
Panetta said Washington was considering an "array of non-lethal
assistance" to the Syrian opposition but that unilateral US
miltary action would be a "mistake".
Meanwhile, Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin has accused Libya of
running a training centre for Syrian rebels who were "sent to
Syria to attack the legal government".
"This is completely unacceptable. This activity is undermining
stability in the Middle East," Churkin told the UN Security
Council.
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