"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 secrecy 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 killing 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 killer and criminal regime, and at this historical moment, there should be no further hesitation, it is imperative to stand by the people of Syria now."