Syria: Another Defection Amid a Struggling Offensive

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. On the same day, the Syrian army deployed additional reinforcements to Aleppo, Syria's largest city and economic capital, to help reclaim the city from the rebels.

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.