March 24th, 2012
06:20 AM ET

Military defectors unite under Free Syrian Army

A top defector from the Syrian military is urging armed rebel groups to align and follow the leadership of the Free Syrian Army.

Uniting all efforts will strengthen the anti-government movement and safeguard the nation, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Sheikh said in a video posted on YouTube on Saturday.

Sheikh was the first brigadier general to announce his defection from President Bashar al-Assad's forces. He was accompanied in the video by Free Syrian Army commander Col. Riad al-Assad.

The move addressed a key concern for observers of the Syrian crisis both inside and outside the country - that armed rebel groups were disjointed and divided.

"The division is over. All the parties involved in the revolution carried out all the efforts to form one united front to better represent and defend the Syrian people," Free Syrian Army Lt. Riad Ahmed said. "In the past, there were some minor technical disagreements, but this is all behind us from now on."

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Filed under: Arab Spring • Syria • World
soundoff (103 Responses)
  1. dazzle© Emissary of

    RIP to this phenomonal woman. If anyone on here cared, pray for her family. Her beloved child has been notified.

    March 26, 2012 at 12:03 am | Report abuse |
    • dazzle©

      Dear Troll and Self appointed Emissary of @dazzle. Au contraire, I am alive and well albeit seriously jet lagged.

      March 26, 2012 at 2:04 am | Report abuse |
  2. Marys big "O"

    @@@ahhhh can rest for te rest of night now,more beta on raineer, brevity..........to be concise oh wow how smart you are and are you a comformist? Or how about trying to reform how people speak? Oh so we like to live other peoples lives, well anyway everything looks good for morning, and our long push for the top of ranieer. And back, oh by the way there are people in this world that have a life other than eat , work , sleep! And mr brevity is not one of them, im one of the lucky ones in this country that can play all i want and make dam good money at it and enjoy life to! And thats having your cake and eating it to . But what i do is a passion , an artistic form of self expression do you have that mr brevity?

    March 26, 2012 at 1:20 am | Report abuse |
  3. Mary

    You have become so full of your self that pointing out a flaw that can be improve apon is more valuable than one's everlasting life.

    That last statement of yours is the VERY reason I am gone.

    Good bye Donna
    so long

    March 26, 2012 at 7:08 am | Report abuse |
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