What makes this news is that there have been so few of Assad's senior government officials who have become disgusted with the crackdown and left to join the opposition. Recall that in Libya, there was a parade of government officials - including the foreign minister - who abandoned Qadaffi in the end. Might this be the start of something similar in Syria? USA Today: Syria's deputy oil minister announced his defection in an online video that emerged Thursday, making him the highest ranking civilian official to abandon the regime since the uprising against President Bashar Assad erupted a year ago. Abdo Husameddine's announcement came one day after the top U.S. general said President Barack Obama has asked for a preliminary review of military options in Syria, as the conflict grows increasingly dire. The U.N. estimates 7,500 people have been killed. "I do not want to end my life servicing the crimes of this regime," Husameddine said in a video posted on YouTube, adding that he was...(Read Full Post)