Syrian president gives defiant speech

Al-Assad addresses violence in Syria

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: SNC leader slams al-Assad's address
• Al-Assad: No government department ordered to fire on people
• A referendum over a new constitution will take place by March, he says
• Al-Assad blames both Western and Arab elements for the unrest

Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- In a rare and defiant speech Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blamed the unabated violence in his country on "external conspiracies," criticized the Arab League as toothless and said that the international call for reform wasn't taking into account what the country was really facing: terrorism.

While he did not explicitly point the finger at a particular country, al-Assad blamed the unrest on both Western and Arab elements as world pressure mounted on his embattled government for its 10-month-long crackdown against protesters.

"The mask has fallen off these faces," he said. "No wise person denies these international conspiracies that (are) being done in order to spread fear inside. But this time, it was done with people from inside."

Thousands have been reported killed by security forces throughout the uprising. Death estimates range from more than 5,000 to more than 6,000. The Syrian government has consistently blamed the violence on "terrorists" and al-Assad denied that he commanded forces to open fire on protesters.

"I would like to confirm that there were no orders by any departments of the state to fire on people," he said.

The speech drew scathing reaction from a prominent opposition leader. Burhan Ghalioun, the head of the Syrian National Council, said "the regime has not learned from this 10 months' problem" and called the address "worthless."

The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet for the first time this year to discuss the brutal and sustained government crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

The Security Council itself has been under pressure to act on the violence. While the U.N. has not acted on sanctions against Syria, international sanctions have been imposed or threatened on the regime and several entities want the International Criminal Court to investigate Syria.

As al-Assad delivered his lengthy address, more violence erupted across the country where 23 people were killed, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group.

Al-Assad said Syria has responded to the ongoing crisis with changes.

"(The) first law we passed is lifting emergency law. In a situation (like) Syria is facing, most countries would impose an emergency law. But we lifted it."

In addition a referendum over a new constitution will be held "within two months -- in March," he said.

The relationship between reform and the crisis, he said, was being "over-emphasized."

"What is the relationship between reform and the international plots? If we reform, would that stop their plans?" he asked. "If we reform, will that stop terrorism? Will a terrorist care if we change election law?"

The speech was noteworthy in not just what al-Assad said, but also in what he chose to leave out. He did not say he would pull tanks off the streets -- a concession that opposition activists had called for.

Al-Assad said his government had tried to talk with the opposition but "certain forces of the opposition ... want to enter into dialogue in secrecy."

Arab League officials are scrambling to end the bloodshed and have pledged to add to their 165 observers already in the country. The Arab League fact-finding mission in Syria is part of a larger initiative to end security forces' attacks on peaceful protesters.

But the group's mission has been met with skepticism from both pro-Assad supporters, who view the monitors as stooges for regime change, and anti-government activists, who see the observers as weak and ineffective.

Al-Assad reserved much of his criticism for Arab nations for not standing with Syria and for coming down on it for human rights abuses.

"Their situation is like that of a doctor who tells people not to smoke while he has a cigarette in his mouth," he said.

"We have been working for years to create an office to boycott Israel," he said, referring to the Arab League initiative toward Syria. "But in weeks they did it against Syria. Are they swapping Israel for Syria?"

Al-Assad said Syria cannot be removed from the Arab League because a body cannot "live without its heart."

The body had failed in "six decades of Arab policies," he said. "So why would it be of any use now?"

"Did the Arab League respect its own nations whose territory has been invaded or occupied? Have they prevented separation of Sudan, or stopped Sudan famine, or stopped the death of 1 million Iraqis, or re-planted any of the olive trees uprooted by Israel?"

Ghalioun emphasized that al-Assad has "refused the Arab working plan. What he believes is going on is a conspiracy as well as terror."

"For the first time, he accused the Arabs in this conspiracy," he said.

Al-Assad also accused some journalists of editing or fabricating his quotes.

"We have more than 60 televisions stations working against Syria," he said.

A CNN crew has been allowed into Syria after a long period of the Syrian regime refusing the entry of international journalists. The crew's equipment for live broadcasting was confiscated on arrival. And a government minder is assigned to the team, though he has not accompanied the team at every turn.

Since Arab Spring demonstrations swept the region early last year, protesters in Syria have demanded a country free of the al-Assad regime and true democratic elections. Al-Assad has been in power since 2000; his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for three decades.

CNN's Nic Robertson contributed to this report.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnn/HmKZ/~3/WBmWX-mse7Y/index.html

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