#Syria Revolts : Tlass jumps from the boat

Manaf Tlass

Now the whole Arab world is talking about how Brigadier General Manaf Tlass has defected from Bashar El Assad regime.  Manaf Tlass , the 48 years old commander of 105 force in the Republican guards has announced his defection from three days ago and has fled the country to Turkey. According to the statements of French FM will head to France. It is expected that he will make a TV statement as he reaches to somewhere safe according to some source.
There is no doubt that this defection means one thing : El Assad’s regime is going down rapidly in Syria when the son of Mostafa Tlass ,Bassel and  Bashar El Assad’s best friend defects.
Manaf Tlass was known in Syria not to be from the inner of Bashar El Assad but from his best friends. Now here is the story of Manaf Tlass , the commander of 105 force in Syrian Republican Guards’ defection. The Tlass family is from the famous and rich Sunni families originated from none other El Rastan , Homs. Yes from El Rastan that witnessed endless massacres committed by El Assad troops.

Old friends : Bashar El Assad and Manaf Tlass in 1990s

It started in 2011 when one of the servants of Manaf Tlass was killed in El Rastan by  El Assad troops and he had to go his hometown to present his condolences to his family. During the memorial service , the father of the deceased put the photo of El Assad on the ground as a carpet insisting that the mourners to walk on it. Thus Manaf walked on the photo of his friend who knew later about what had happened in the memorial service and decided to put him under house arrest.

Bashar and Manaf in 1999 "AFP"

Some sources say that Tlass tried in those months to work for a peaceful solution between the locals, the opposition powers in the city and El Assad regime but of course things went from bad to worse , what peaceful solution can be achieved in such circumstances !!
Now some say that he had defected for a whole year but he has been under house arrest and that he liberated by FSA while other sources say that the last straw between him and El Assad group

Firas Tlass , Mostafa Tlass and Manaf Tlass

I do not know if  Manaf Tlass is related to Abdel Razk Tlass who heads the famous El Farouk Battalion in Homs. Manaf Tlass’ has become already the highest ranking officer to defect from the Free Syrian army. 
I do not trust Manaf Tlass that much , he and his family have been in the inner circle of El Assad’s regime too long to be trusted easily. I will not speak on how his  foulmouthed womanizer father , the man who destroyed the Syrian army for good Mostafa Tlass but I will speak on his family’s rich old economic empire. His brother Firas was among the most wealthiest businessmen in Syria and had partnerships with the most important businessmen in Egypt and the Arab world. As powerful and influential Sunni family in Syria , I know that the Tlass clan wants to maintain its status in the new Syria.
Firas Tlass has already fled the country late June 2012 where he headed to Dubai. Now Firas Tlass is being labeled as traitor in pro-El Assad media.Just like Abdel Halim Khaddam Firas Tlass is trying to play a role in the Syrian opposition , some sources say he is trying to reach for an agreement between political powers and Free Syrian army.

Hafiz El Assad and Manaf Tlass

Here is his Facebook account , Arab media says that he writes blog posts in his FB account yet I can and do not see anything in his restricted FB account.
The defection of Manaf Tlass and escape means one thing , the rest of Tlass clan left Syria including his father Mostafa Tlass. Some Arab news website claim that his wife has already arrived in Paris before him.

Mostafa Tlass with his son Manaf
and his grandson Hamza

Here is the official website of Mostafa Tlass where I found some of the photos I have used in this post.
I am waiting for the next move for the Tlass clan , surely they will play a role.