General Manaf Tlass, a key defector from the regime of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, said in a statement sent to AFP Tuesday that he was in Paris and called for a "constructive transition" in his country. "I sincerely hope that the blood stops flowing and that the country emerges from the crisis through a phase of constructive transition that guarantees Syria its unity, stability and security, as well as the aspirations of its people," he said in the statement.

"I am ready like any other Syrian, with no other ambition, to fulfill my civic duty to contribute to a better future for my country, as much as I can, and like all those... who have already made many sacrifices," he said. Tlass' defection was announced by sources close to the regime on July 6. [Link]