Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pledged on Monday political reforms within months to address a wave of protests against his rule, but blamed saboteurs for the unrest and warned that no deal could be reached with gunmen. Assad said a national dialogue would start soon to review new legislation including laws on parliamentary elections, the media, and political parties and look at possible changes to the constitution. But activists dismissed Assad’s promises, saying they failed to engage the demands of protesters who for three months have defied a fierce military crackdown in calling for greater freedom, posing the gravest challenge to his 11-year leadership. After his speech, delivered at Damascus University, protesters took to the streets of the capital’s suburbs and in the coastal city of Latakia, activists and residents said.
“The regime has no realisation that this is a mass street movement demanding freedom and dignity,” opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said. “Assad has not said anything to satisfy the families of the 1,400 martyrs or the national aspiration of the Syrian people for the country to become a democracy.” In just his third speech since unrest began in March, Assad appeared tense as he pledged to pursue a national dialogue on reforms and held out the prospect of expanding a recent amnesty. But he said: “We have to distinguish between (those who have legitimate demands) and saboteurs. The saboteurs are a small group that tried to exploit the kind majority of the Syrian people to carry out their many schemes.” No political solution was possible with people carrying weapons, he said. As Syrian forces swept through the northwestern border region with Turkey, blocking refugees fleeing the military crackdown, Assad called on the 10,000 who have already crossed the frontier to come home.
