DAMASCUS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Syrian former Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi broke the silence about his sudden disappearance and told the BBC that he had abandoned his post " because his hopes for reforms had been dashed," according to a BBC report issued Wednesday.
Makdissi, who became a main public face of the Syrian administration during the unrest started two years ago, disappeared last December, and his absence raised many questions. The government then said he was on a three-month vacation while some opposition parties reported his defection.
Quoted by the BBC, Makdissi said he had left Syria quietly to be independent and support "the peaceful change that's based on national dialogue and partnership away from hatred, extremism and foreign military intervention." He added that he left in the way he did because he did not want to be used as a "dagger" by one side against the other.
The BBC said that Makdissi's remarks were made in a statement, adding that his whereabouts remain unknown as he stressed that he is with "brothers" who are backing the Syrians without discrimination. It quoted him as denying reports that he sought refuge in Europe or the United States.
The Syrian government has yet to respond to the report, as Makdissi was not the first official to leave post to side with the opposition.
However, the authenticity of the BBC report could not be independently verified.
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