Syrian soldier says he deserted because of brutality against protesters
(20 Jun 2011) SHOTLIST 1. Syrian army deserter Tharwat Faydo walks up hill 2. Various of Faydo walking 3. Faydo holding up his army identification card 4. Various of army identification card 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Tharwat Faydo, Syrian army deserter: "I decided to desert from the army one Friday. As you know on Fridays there were big protests and they were approaching us. When I got the chance I threw my weapon back to the army and went and joined the protesters. They looked after me for five days and when they saw that I wasn't going to attack them, as the Shabbiha (secret police) might do, they protected me. They gave me food and drink, and safe passage until I reached Jisr al-Shugrour." 6. Cutaway of hands 7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Tharwat Faydo, Syrian army deserter: "The refugees need help from the whole world to return back to Syria. We thank Turkey and the countries who have been helping the refugees, but this is not enough." 8. Faydo walking away STORYLINE A former Syrian soldier described on Monday how he deserted from the army in protest at the military crackdown of President Bashir Assad's regime, that activists say has claimed more than 1,400 lives and imprisoned 10-thousand. Tharwat Faydo, aged 19, said he was serving in the 90th Brigade in the city of Deraa when he decided he could no longer support the regime. He crossed over to the opposition during a big demonstration earlier this month, he said. The opposition sheltered him and gave him safe passage to Jisr al-Shughour, near the border with Turkey. When the army attacked Jisr al-Shughour, Faydo fled across the border to Turkey. "When I got the chance I threw my weapon back to the army and went and joined the protesters," he told AP Television in an interview from the Turkish border village of Guvecci. "They looked after me for five days and when they saw that I wasn't going to attack them, as the Shabbiha (secret police) might do, they protected me," he added. Faydo expressed concern at the limited scale of efforts to help refugees on the Syrian side of the border. He also said "refugees need help from all the world to return back to Syria". "We thank Turkey and the countries who have been helping the refugees but this is not enough." Faydo is from the town of Kherbat al-Jawz, a town close to the Turkish border. He says he doesn't know what has become of his family. More than 10,500 Syrians have fled their country and are being sheltered in four Turkish refugee camps, officials say. An estimated 5,000 others are camped out on the Syrian side of the border, with dwindling resources, trying to remain close to their homes and relatives, avoiding official refugee status that might delay their return. Syria's embattled president said on Monday that "saboteurs" are trying to exploit legitimate demands for reform, as the regime faces its most powerful challenge in more than four decades. President Bashar Assad's televised address was only his third public speech since the country's uprising began in March, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. The pro-democracy uprising against the Assad regime has proved remarkably resilient despite the relentless campaign by the military, other security forces and pro-regime gunmen. The government has unleashed troops on mass protests in region after region over the three months, including last Friday, when activists said at least 16 civilians were killed when security forces fired on demonstrators in several cities and towns. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
