French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed to the Friends of Syria conference Friday that Manaf Tlass was on his way to Paris after his defection. Tlass was a brigade commander in Syria's Republican Guard and went to military college with Assad.

Syrian media reported that he had fled to Turkey after becoming aware that he was under surveillance by Syrian intelligence services. It is the first desertion by a military commander of such stature.

Tlass' defection represents a bit of positive news for the Friends of Syria conference - the third of its kind this year - as they discuss the next steps to take against Assad and his regime for the bloody crackdown on a popular uprising that has claimed 16,500 lives in the last 16 months, according to observers' estimates.

The Friends of Syria observed a moment of silence at the meeting for victims of the regime.

Tough talk for Russia, China

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had some of the most noteworthy comments, calling out Russia and China directly for inhibiting progress on finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.

She urged other participants at the summit to pressure both countries to back off their support for Assad.

"It's not just enough to come to a Friends of Syria meeting," Clinton said, "because, I will tell you frankly, I do not think Moscow or Beijing believe they are paying any price at all for standing up on behalf of the regime. The only way that will change is if every nation represented here directly and urgently makes it clear that Russia and China will pay a price. They are holding up progress, blockading it. That is no longer tolerable."

The US is among nations who have imposed sanctions against Syria, and Clinton was critical of nations who had not done so. She also called for the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution that would target Syria with sanctions. Past efforts at the Security Council have been vetoed by Russia and China.

No military intervention

Most Western nations support a plan proposed by international mediator Kofi Annan that would implement a ceasefire in Syria and allow the process of a transfer of power to begin. Efforts to implement the cease-fire, including sending UN monitors to Syria, have so far been unsuccessful. A military intervention is still seen as undesirable.

"I don't see a solution in a military intervention," said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Paris. "That would only lead to a wildfire that would spread to other countries in the region."

Westerwelle joined other diplomats, including Clinton and French President Francois Hollande, in calling for more humanitarian support for the Syrian people.

mz/tj (AFP, Reuters, dpa)