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Syrian official’s video message seems to show he has defected

Authenticity of statement is unverified Criticizes allies of Assad regime

By J. David Goodman and Rick Gladstone

 |  New York Times  

  March 09, 2012

A senior Syrian official appeared to switch to the insurgent side Thursday, compounding the plight of the embattled government, which has seen the country’s currency plunge to levels of roughly half the value of a year ago when the uprising began. In a video posted on the Internet, Abdo Hussameldin, the deputy oil minister, said he had defected from President Bashar Assad’s government, making him one of the highest-ranking civilian officials to desert Assad in the increasingly chaotic insurgency.

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