Jordanian minister denies Farouk al Shara defection

A Jordanian minister who wished to remain anonymous has told Arabstoday that there is no truth to reports by the Now TV satellite channel on Syrian Vice President Farouk al Shara's alleged defection from the Syrian regime. The television report said al Shara had fled for neighbouring Jordan, along with a number of Syrian officers.  The minister did not mention the other officers. Now TV reported that 13 Syrian Army Brigades and 37 deans had defected from the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and fled for Jordan. The channel also reported that the Free Syrian Army was able to smuggle those who defected to Jordan in the same way they smuggled Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab who defected last week.  Violence has raged on in Syria as President Assad's crackdown on a 17-month uprising that has cost more than 21,000 lives. Meanwhile, official sources revealed to the Jordanian newspaper "Al Ghad" in a story published Saturday that Jordan was ready to hand over the Syrian military jet whose pilot has defected and sought refugee in the kingdom in June. The sources said that the concerned Jordanian authorities “recently tried handing over the Syrian aircraft,” a Russian made MiG–21 to the Syrian side through land, but “technical and logistical obstacles have prevented it”.  Sources added the currently a suitable technical mechanism was being researched to deliver the Syrian aircraft to to Assad's government.  Jordan has refused requests from Samascus to send Syrian military pilots to fly the aircraft back to Damascus, saying that the transfer would take place "only by land". The jet entered Jordanian airspace on Thursday, June 20 and landed in the Royal Air Force base before its captain requested political asylum.  At the time, the Secretary of State for Media affairs and the government spokesman, Samih Maaytah, stated that the defected colonel, Hassan Mari Hamad, and his assistant were granted asylum. Syrian sources on the day said the the pilot defected after he was ordered to shell the towns of Deraa and Nasib, which were witnessing  armed clashes between regime forces and defectors of the Free Army.