Opposition Govt Appoints First Syrian Astronaut As Defense Minister

(Zaman al-Wasl)- The Interim Prime Minister of the Syrian opposition Government  said that the rebel factions in support of the Syrian Islamic Council and the Interim Government have agreed to appoint Major General Muhammad Faris as Defense Minister, Brigadier General Salim Idris as Chief of Staff and deputy Chief of Staff Fadl Allah al-Haj. 

Jawad Abu Hatab said in a telephone conversation with Zaman al-Wasl that the agreement was the result of two-day meetings and is still going on to discuss other details, adding that a statement will be issued to announce outcome of the meetings.

Within the framework of the initiative, which stipulates the formation of a Ministry of Defense and a unified national army, rebel factions agreed that Jawad Abu Hatab will temporarily take the post of interim Minister of Defense and to appoint a minister and chief of staff later after consultation with the Southern Front.

More than 40 rebel factions agreed on the Syrian Islamic Council initiative with the Syrian Interim Government to form a ministry of defense and a unified army to end state of division in the factions of the Syrian revolution. 

He was born in Aleppo ( May 26, 1951), the first Syrian astronaut to have ascended space under the Soviet space program in the Soyuz M3 spacecraft of the Mir space station on 22 July 1987 with two Of the Russian astronauts as part of a space cooperation program between Syria and the former Soviet Union.

Brig. Gen. Salim Idris, who split from the Assad army on August 20, 2012, headed the Free Syrian Army Staff from December 2012 until February 2014.

He is fluent in five languages including (Arabic, German and English) and holds a doctorate in electronic radars in 2012.

Idris studied engineering in Damascus and received his doctorate in Germany. He is married and has five children (three girls and two boys).

Major General Salim Idris commented on the results of the meetings of the Interim Government and the factions by agreeing to appoint him by apologizing and declaring the resignation. He said in a statement yesterday that he is a soldier in the service of the revolution.