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Syrian President Calls Unrest 'A Conspiracy'


Syrian protesters took to the streets in the capital Damascus and at various other towns and cities following President Bashar al Assad's speech, which labelled the four-month uprising 'a conspiracy'.

The under-pressure leader accused foreign conspirators of unleashing a wave of violence across his country in the third speech he had made since the uprising began.

However, he did concede that reforms are necessary within his authoritarian regime and his approach has certainly softened since his first speech which was very aggressive.

But anti-government supporters said Mr Assad did not meet mass demands for sweeping political change, activists said.

"No to dialogue with murderers," chanted 300 protesters in the capital's suburb of Irbin, a witness told news agency Reuters by telephone.


In this latest speech Mr Assad called the violence a "conspiracy designed abroad and perpetrated in our country."

But Mr Assad added that authorities in Syria must differentiate between legitimate protesters and terrorists.

He said gunmen carried out massacres in the strife-torn northern town of Jisr al Shughour, and claimed they had sophisticated weapons and communication systems.

However, he did admit that some protesters have legitimate concerns that must be addressed.


"Who is opposing reform? I have not met a single person opposing reforms," he admitted.

The embattled president said "saboteurs" are trying to exploit the legitimate demands for reform in the country.

"The solution is to solve the problem with our own hands," he said.

"What do we say about these political positions? About the pressure from the media, the advanced telephones that we started seeing spreading in Syria in the hands of saboteurs, the fabrications?

"We cannot say these are acts of goodwill, this is definitely a conspiracy."

He said the agitators are "a small faction" but they are causing a lot of damage and have infiltrated peaceful protests.

He revealed that 64,000 people are wanted by regime authorities over the violence across the geopolitically important nation.


Mr Assad's speech was only his third public address since the country's uprising began in March.

He also sought to address the issue of endemic corruption that afflicts his country.

"This will require reform of institutions and modernising of legislation," he said.

A carefully selected congress hall of attendees applauded his decision to confront corruption.


He also said Syria's media has an important role in rooting out corruption and announced that it would be "modernised".

"Corruption, per se, is enough to undermine any nation."

Mr Assad revealed that a key element of reform would be the role of liberalising the state-controlled media.

Mr Assad revealed that a national dialogue will begin soon after agreement on the mechanism to be used.

The opposition estimates more than 1,400 Syrians have been killed and 10,000 detained as Assad forces try to crush the protest movement that was inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/syrian-preside ... 23957.html