Reports noted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appeared in a rare televised speech on January 6 and outlined a plan to end the 21-month old conflict. Calling the opposition groups “slaves” of the West, he said the first step of his proposed plan was for foreign powers to end their support for Syrian rebel groups. He said Syrian government military operations would then cease, following which dialogue would be held with groups not backed by foreign powers, parliamentary elections and formation of a new government. Assad stressed that the conflict was not between the government and the opposition but Syria and its enemies, and that any resolution would have to be “purely Syrian”.

However, according to reports, the National Coalition, the main Syrian opposition group, has rejected the Assad’s plan. The group has insisted that Assad step down before it enters into any dialogue. The British government has called the speech “beyond hypocritical”, while the European Union has renewed calls for Assad to step aside. 1

• 1. “Syria’s Assad offers ‘roadmap to end conflict‘”, The Jordan Times, January 6, 2013 at http://jordantimes.com/syrias-assad-offers-roadmap-to-end-conflict