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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syrian Chopper Pilot Describes Defection Planning |
| 2012-07-14 |
| When helicopter pilot Ahmad Trad decided he wanted to defect from the Syrian air force earlier this year, he realized it wasn't going to be easy. His Damascus air base was closely monitored, he was sure his phone was tapped and he suspected that one in every three of his colleagues was spying for the government. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean somebody isn't after you! He also confronted the dilemma that he and other defectors say is the biggest deterrent to those who would like to abandon the Syrian regime but have not yet dared: the safety of his family. Slipping away from his base was one thing, but it was just as important for Trad, 30, to make sure his relatives would not be targeted for revenge attacks once he was gone. His misgivings hardened into resolve in February, when his deputy commander was suddenly and publicly detained on the base. Like Trad, the deputy commander was a Sunni, and the officers who detained him were Alawites. Interesting short story how he got out. |
| Posted by:Bobby |