Assad Remains Defiant in Speech to the Nation

In his first address since June 2012, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad laid out a plan for ceasefire and reorganization of the country’s government. However, his speech left out any mention of resignation, a central demand of the opposition. Assad called for dialogue with ”those who have not betrayed Syria” and said “the first stage of a political solution would require that regional powers stop funding and arming (the opposition), an end to terrorist operations and controlling the borders.” Despite the formation of a new Syrian National Coalition in November, Assad said the government had not yet found a suitable partner for a negotiated settlement. He blamed external elements for Syria’s crisis saying, “What is sure is that most of those we are battling are jihadis holding the ideology of al-Qaeda. The battle… between the nation and its enemies…between the citizen and his bread, between the security we all wish for, and fear.” In reference to last week’s meeting with U.N. special envoy Lahkdar Ibrahimi, Assad said “Syria accepts advice, but doesn’t take dictation.”

“The Syrians did not make all those sacrifices in order to bolster this tyrannical regime,” said Walid al-Bunni, spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition, noting a recent U.N. report indicating over 60,000 people had died in the conflict. Bunni reiterated that President Assad’s initiative falls well short of the the rebels’ demands. ”He wants negotiating partners of his own choosing and will not accept any initiative that could meet the aspirations of the Syrian people or ultimately lead to his departure and the dismantling of his regime.”

The U.S. State Department released a statement saying, “Assad’s speech today is yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power and does nothing to advance the Syrian people’s goal of a political transition. Assad has lost all legitimacy and must step aside to enable a political solution and a democratic transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.”