Syria's Assad refuses to resign
<p><span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="Bashar">Bashar</span> <span word="al">al</span>-<span word="Assad">Assad</span> <span word="vowed">vowed</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="respond">respond</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="threats">threats</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> "<span word="iron">iron</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>" <span word="and">and</span> <span word="refused">refused</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="insisting">insisting</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="people">people</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="support">support</span> <span word="despite">despite</span> <span word="the">the</span> 10-<span word="month">month</span> <span word="uprising">uprising</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="president">president</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="address">address</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="months">months</span>, <span word="Assad">Assad</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="denythat">denythat</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="terrorists">terrorists</span>" <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="policy">policy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pledged">pledged</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="continued">continued</span> <span word="efforts">efforts</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ensure">ensure</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="security">security</span>.</p><p><span word="Assad">Assad</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="two">two</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="speech">speech</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Damascus">Damascus</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="priority">priority</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="regain">regain</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="security">security</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> "<span word="basked">basked</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="decades">decades</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="achieved">achieved</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="terrorists">terrorists</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="iron">iron</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>".</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="lenient">lenient</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="outsiders">outsiders</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Assad">Assad</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="lashed">lashed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span> <span word="League">League</span>, <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Cairo">Cairo</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="bloc">bloc</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span> <span word="interests">interests</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="league">league</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="suspended">suspended</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="monitors">monitors</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="assess">assess</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="abiding">abiding</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span>-<span word="brokered">brokered</span> <span word="peace">peace</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Assad">Assad</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Dec">Dec</span> 19. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="moves">moves</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="humiliating">humiliating</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="considers">considers</span> <span word="itself">itself</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="powerhouse">powerhouse</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span> <span word="nationalism">nationalism</span>.</p><p><span word="Assad">Assad</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> "<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span> <span word="League">League</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="decades">decades</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span> <span word="interests">interests</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="surprised">surprised</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> "<span word="failed">failed</span>" <span word="again">again</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="speeches">speeches</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="anti">anti</span>-<span word="government">government</span> <span word="uprising">uprising</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="March">March</span>, <span word="inspired">inspired</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="revolutions">revolutions</span> <span word="sweeping">sweeping</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arab">Arab</span> <span word="world">world</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="government">government</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="crackdown">crackdown</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="dissent">dissent</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="killed">killed</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 5,000, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="UN">UN</span> <span word="figures">figures</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="isolation">isolation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sanctions">sanctions</span>.</p>
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