Assad’s Speech Provokes More Protests

Bashar al-Assad, Syrian president, condemned again the manifestants against his regime and promised further reforms yesterday in his third speech since the protests began, the responses were indignation, disappointment,and new manifestations.

Al-Assad considered protests as a “foreign conspiracy” in Syria, while announcing political reforms, including the ratification of laws and a new constitution promised to seek a political solution. “There will be reforms with sabotage and chaos,” he said in a speech at the University of Damascus, adding that “a small group of saboteurs kill in the name of religion.”

After the “provocative speech,” activists vowed to continue their protest and returned to the streets of Aleppo, the second largest city. Protests also occurred in Homs and Latakia.

“In his speech, Al-Assad spends too much time blaming foreign instigators instead of appreciating their own people are simply disgusted with a regime that maintains power through repression, corruption and fear,” said the State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, in a news conference. (MS)

Source: El Universal Newspaper