Assad condemns Arab League and offers reform

SYRIAN President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to strike “terrorists” with an iron fist and derided the Arab League for its attempts to halt violence in a 10-month-old revolt against his rule.

The speech, Assad’s first public address since June, contained vague promises of reform, but no concessions that might split an opposition now determined to end more than four decades of domination by the Assad family.

Assad, 46, offered a referendum on a new constitution in March before a multi-party parliamentary election that has been much postponed. Under the present constitution, Assad’s Ba’ath party is designated as “the leader of the state and society”. But the Syrian leader gave no sign he was willing to relinquish the power he inherited on his father’s death in 2000.

“I am not someone who abandons responsibility,” he declared.

Assad made scathing remarks about the Arab League, which has sent monitors to check Syria’s compliance with an Arab peace plan after suspending it in November.

“The Arab League has failed for six decades to take a position in the Arab interest... We should not be surprised,” he said, while adding Syria would not “close the door” to any Arab proposal that respected its sovereignty and unity.

The Arab League condemned an attack on some of its monitors by demonstrators in the port city of Latakia, saying the Syrian government had breached its obligation to protect them. “Failing to provide adequate protection in Latakia and other areas where the mission is deployed is considered a serious violation by the government of its commitments,” it said.

An official earlier said some 11 people were lightly wounded in Monday’s attack, adding it had not affected operations.

Online footage appeared to show pro-Assad demonstrators in Latakia surrounding and climbing onto the white vehicles used by monitors.

United Arab Emirate foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, said Syria was not giving the monitors freedom of movement.

Reviewing progress since the monitors began work on December 26, the Arab League said Syria had only partly kept an agreement to stop violence, withdraw troops from cities, free prisoners, provide media access and open a political dialogue.

Opposition figures say the monitors have failed to stem the bloodshed, but the Arab League has expanded the mission and keep it going until it reports again on January 19.