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h2>Neighboring States See Increasing Instability as Senior Syrian Defections Show Crisis Deepening

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Syria defections hurt army morale, core intact

AFP – As Syrian army defections multiply, the backbone of the regime remains grounded on a loyal core of officers motivated either by conviction or fear of a post-revolt purge of their ranks. The most prominent desertions have been the June 22 defection of a pilot who landed his fighter in Jordan.

For months, Jordan has been struggling with a steady influx of refugees from Syria, but the latest surge in the violence there may have pushed the small desert kingdom’s capacity to the breaking point. On Monday night nearly 1,000 Syrians sneaked across Jordan’s northern border with assistance.