DAMASCUS // The defection of Nawaf Al Fares, Syria's ambassador to Iraq, is the strongest sign yet that President Bashar Al Assad is losing the support of Sunni members of his inner circle.
A senior figure in the Aaqidat tribe, Syria's largest and most powerful Arab clan centred in Deir Ezzor province, Mr Al Fares was an archetypical Sunni insider within a regime dominated by Alawites.
His defection, the first by a serving Syrian diplomat, was made more significant by the stark terms in which he called on the Syrian army to turn its guns on the regime, and by the influence he potentially wields in the country's eastern tribal regions, from where many rank-and-file soldiers are conscripted and where tribal codes are still valued.
"Where is the honour in killing your countrymen?" he asked in a video announcing his defection, aired on Al Jazeera TV late on Wednesday. "The nation is all the people, not just one person in particular, and the allegiance is to the people, not a dictator who kills his people."
Addressing members of the Syrian military, he said: "Turn your cannons and your tanks towards the criminals in the regime who are killing the people."
Those blunt comments contrast with the silence following the defection of General Manaf Tlass last week. Since fleeing Syria, nothing has been heard from Gen Tlass, the son of a former defence minister and personal friend of Mr Al Assad's, prompting speculation he had simply abandoned the regime rather than actively changed sides.
Continuing bloodshed during 16 months of revolt has turned Syria's eastern tribal lands into a powder keg, slipping out of Damascus's control. Pro-regime tribal leaders there are under growing street-level pressure to abandon the government and join an armed uprising.
With the defection of Mr Al Fares, who along with his brothers inherited the mantle of leading sheikhs in the Aaqidat clan, other lesser tribal figures allied to the regime may now feel compelled - or freed - to take the same step.
In a statement yesterday, Syria's foreign ministry said the defecting ambassador had been "relieved of his duties" and should face "legal and disciplinary accountability" for failing to defend the country's "stances and issues".
A Syrian political analyst said the defection was important, given Mr Al Fares' "heavyweight" status.
"This is not a simple soldier or a minor bureaucrat. This is a man with connections throughout the country, someone the regime trusted, someone who knows how the security services work, who knows the insides of the regime," he said.
Based in Abu Kamal on the Syrian-Iraq border, the Aaqidat tribe extends through Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
It was Hafez Al Assad, the former Syrian president, who ushered Mr Al Fares into the network ruling Syria, promoting him from the police to head the feared political security branch in Latakia province - home of the Al Assad family.
From there he was made chief of the Baath party in Deir Ezzor province, his own tribe's stronghold, a position he held until 1998 when, having impressed Hafez Al Assad, he was made the governor of Latakia.
He is said to have initially turned down the job offer - few Syrians had the confidence or stature to say no to Hafez Al Assad, a man who brooked no dissent - telling the then president he would not have the authority to get things done in a province containing so many influential Alawites who would easily be able to pull rank on a Sunni governor.
Only after the president told him he would have complete backing and full authority - supposedly telling the new governor to "consider himself as Hafez Al Assad in Latakia" - did he take up the job.
Physically imposing, renowned as a ladies man and usually seen smoking Marlboro cigarettes, Mr Al Fares earned something of a reputation for being non-corrupt in a country riddled by graft, and as a fearless speaker unconcerned about arguing with other regime members.
He was tipped to become interior minister, a post reserved for ultra-loyalist figures with a strong security services background, only for a period of ill health to prevent him taking up the job.
Mr Al Fares was later given significant government posts when Bashar Al Assad took over as president, serving under him as the governor of Idlib and Quneitra before, in 2008, being made Syria's first ambassador to Iraq in almost 30 years.
The authorities in Baghdad yesterday said the defecting ambassador had left the country for Qatar. Mahmut Osman, a spokesman the opposition Syrian National Council said he expected Mr Al Fares in Turkey for talks with anti-Assad groups.
Mr Osman also said he expected the defection of more senior officials in the future. "We have heard from many who want to flee," he said, adding the Assad regime threatened reprisals against family members of officials who deserted.
Activists have, however, expressed disquiet about such a regime insider - someone who served with the reviled security services - joining their ranks.
Meanwhile, diplomatic wrangling over Syria continued at the United Nations, after western states called for sanctions to be imposed against the Syrian regime if it failed to implement a peace plan brokered by UN special envoy Kofi Annan within a strict 10-day time limit.
Russia, a key ally of Mr Al Assad, which together with China has twice used veto powers to block security council resolutions critical of Syria, indicated yesterday it would not support any sanctions.
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said yesterday in Cambodia "we do see momentum building" against Mr Al Assad,
In the latest clashes, Syrian government troops shelled and then stormed Treimsa village in the central province of Hama yesterday, monitors and activists said, while at least 45 people were killed across the country. Lebanese security sources said Syrian troops fired off dozens of shells in areas bordering northern and eastern Lebanon, adding that at least four people were injured inside Lebanese territory.
psands@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting from Thomas Seibert in Istanbul and Joe Lauria in New York
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Company%20Profile
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Company%20profile
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Thor%3A%20Love%20and%20Thunder%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Taika%20Waititi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Hemsworth%2C%20Natalie%20Portman%2C%20Christian%20Bale%2C%20Russell%20Crowe%2C%20Tessa%20Thompson%2C%20Taika%20Waititi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Costa Rica 0
Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final