Syrian presidential palace official defects

The head of protocol at Syria\'s presidential palace, Mouheddine Muslmani, has defected to the opposition, days after a former premier\'s desertion, dpa cited opposition fighters as saying. Yasser Aboud, a commander in the opposition Free yrian Army (FSA), said in press statements that Muslmani is still in Syria and will appear soon in a video to announce his defection. Aboud had helped secure the defection earlier this week of former Syrian prime minister Riad Hijab and his safe escape to Jordan. The Jordanian government has confirmed Hijab\'s presence in the country. The latest defections have dealt strong political and symbolic blows to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad