Syrian general Manaf Tlass Tuesday called on Syrians to unite and start building a post-President Bashar al-Assad Syria as he made his first public appearance since defecting from the regime.

Reading a prepared statement on Saudi-owned, Dubai-based television channel Al-Arabiya, Tlass called on Syrians to "unite... for a Syria after Assad... and do the impossible, to ensure the unity of Syria, and to be sure to start building a new Syria."

-Agence France Presse