Official sources denied on Saturday rumors circulated over the defection of Vice President Farouk al-Shara. SANA news agency cited a statement released by al-Shara’s office, as saying that the VP was working and even did not think of leaving Syria. Al-Shara “was working, since the start of the crisis in Syria, particularly as of the consultative meeting held in Damascus by a Presidential decree on July 10, 2011, with all the different parties to end the bloodshed with the aim of launching a political process in the framework of a comprehensive dialogue to achieve a national reconciliation that maintains the country's territorial integrity, independence and the regional safety far from any foreign military intervention,” SANA added. The statement stressed that al-Shara welcomed the appointment of al-Akhadar al-Ibrahimi, expressing support to his commitment to obtain a unified stance by the Security Council to achieve his difficult mission without obstacles.