By Greg Hazley
Amid conflicting reports on his whereabouts and job status, the U.S. State Dept. said Wednesday that it believes the high-profile spokesman for Syria’s foreign ministry, Jihad Makdissi, has fled Syria for London.
“If true, this is obviously another sign of the regime crumbing from within as those closest to Assad are realizing that the end is nigh,” said State Dept. spokesman Mark Toner.
Makdissi’s disappearance has fueled several speculative media reports, including a Guardian Dec. 4 dispatch that said he had defected and was on his way to the U.S.
Reports from the U.K. after Toner’s remarks have denied Makdissi is in London, however.
“I don’t know that we’ve reached out in any way,” said Toner. “Again, I don’t think we can – we can only now confirm that we believe that he’s in London; we can’t confirm that. I can’t speak to whether we’ll reach out to him in any way, shape, or form.”
Lebanese media reported that Makdissi was fired for making statements that didn’t reflect government positions, according to Al Arabiya, which noted his home was burned shortly after his exit by a pro-government militia. The Syrian government said it would address Makdissi’s departure but has yet to speak of it.
Syria’s deputy foreign minister, Faisal Makdad, told Sky News that Makdissi had not defected and was on a “three-month sabbatical.”
Al Arabiya said Makdissi was the highest ranking Christian in the Assad government and one of the few members who speaks English. He had been the country’s foreign ministry spokesman for 14 years. |