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Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/21/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html
Jordan Grants Asylum to Syrian Pilot Who Defects
(CNN) - A Syrian military pilot flew to Jordan and was granted asylum Thursday, a day after the United States warned members of the Syrian military they could face international criminal prosecution for attacks on civilians. Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, "We welcome this pilot's decision to do the right thing. We have long called for the military and members of the Syrian regime to defect and abandon their positions rather than be complicit in the regime's atrocities. The defection came as the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported at least 128 people, including at least 15 children, were killed across the country Thursday. Since the uprising began in March 2011, violence has killed more than 15,000 people in Syria, including 10,480 civilians, 3,715 soldiers and 830 defectors, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.