A Critical Defection in Syria

Syrian Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass, whose defection was announced by Syrian opposition media July 5, is believed to be traveling from Turkey to Paris on July 6 to attend a Friends of Syria meeting. Tlass commanded the 105th Republican Guard unit until February or March 2012, when his unit struggled to put down the rebellion in Homs. In addition to Manaf, several other members of the Tlass family reportedly have left Syria.

The Tlass family has long been an important supporter of the al Assads, but the sectarian differences between the two families eventually pulled the alliance apart. The Tlass family was not only critical to the al Assad clan's ability to maintain military support among the Sunni elite, but it was also a major link between the Alawites and the Sunni business community. The Tlass family's defections may now provide an incentive to Syria's Sunni merchant class to defect in large numbers, thereby unraveling the patronage networks that the regime has relied on for decades.