CNN 2012-08-10

 We are hearing reports of the highest level defection yet from Bashar al-Assad's regime, and the Syrian Opposition¹ says Prime Minister Riyad Hijab fled the country overnight and arrived with his family in neighbor Jordan early on Monday, now according to Syrian State-Run television, but government says the premier² resigned his post. Our pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins me now from Amman, Jordan. And Barbara, more on Syria's prime minister, did he resign, did he defect? What do we know?

 

"Well, Kristie, what I can tell you is a short while ago, a Jordanian source confirmed to CNN that the prime Riyad Hijab has in fact defected, has arrived in Jordan today, overnight with his family members, this is very sensitive here in Jordan right now, the Opposition groups are already saying that other ministers have defected, but that has not yet been publicly confirmed. Now the prime minister of Syria, as you say, have had the job for about two months, he's a former agriculture minister, a Ba'ath Party loyalist in Assad's regime, but also very interestingly, Kristie, the reports are that he was fired, was he fired right before he defected, did he defect and was then fired? Nobody is publicly sorting this out just yet, but obviously left the country in some manner of secrecy³ to make it across the border here in Jordan."

 

Mohammed Jamjoom joins me now in from our bureau in Abu Dhabi, Mohammed, what are you hearing?

 

"Well, Kristie, earlier there was a statement read by the spokesperson, Mahammed el-Etri, the spokesperson for the former prime minister of Syria, in which he said "I announce today my defection from the killing⁴ and terrorist regime, and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution, I announce that I am from today a soldier in this blessed revolution". Now this was a statement that was read Al-Jazeera Television just a short while ago. And we are still waiting to find out if the former prime minister of Syria, who has defected, if he will be given a press conference later in the day. Also we've got the reaction from the Syrian National Council, the president of the Syrian National Council, Abdulbaset Sieda said we welcome the news of the defection of Dr.Riyad Hijab, and we the consider the defection to be what is morally right and what is called for at this historically time, this is a killer⁵ and criminal regime, and at this historical moment, there should be no further hesitation⁶, it is imperative⁷ to stand by the people of Syria now."

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

6 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

7 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。