Assad has the reputation
Assad has the reputation of being a crowd-pleaser and many had anticipated a surprise announcement. His key adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, had foreshadowed decisive reforms, including lifting an emergency law that bans public dissent.
However, Assad's speech offered no substantive concessions. He said satellite television and propaganda had incited demonstrators, although he also said that "not all demonstrators were conspirators". He added that the chaos in Syria had an Israeli agenda, but did not elaborate.
"This is the end of Syria," said one young engineer from the capital, Damascus. "There was no apology and no promise of reform. This only makes us angrier. He could have at least expressed sorrow for those who have died."
Residents of the southern city of Deraa, where at least 55 people have been killed during clashes with security forces, told the Guardian that the speech had been met with significant anger. Assad expressed grief for the deaths of "fathers and brothers" in Deraa and acknowledged that security forces had "made mistakes" during the clashes. However, he also said residents had a responsibility to stop the protests themselves.
"The speech was nonsense and has given security forces the green light to continue its oppression of our people," said a man who declined to be named, speaking by telephone from Deraa .
Even Assad's supporters seemed at a loss after the address, which was regularly interrupted by choreographed bursts of poetry from the floor. "Many Baathists were congratulating me today on the removal of emergency law," said one Christian businessman. "But now they are empty-handed as they face the Syrian people."
Assad has the reputation of being a crowd-pleaser and many had anticipated a surprise announcement. His key adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, had foreshadowed decisive reforms, including lifting an emergency law that bans public dissent.
However, Assad's speech offered no substantive concessions. He said satellite television and propaganda had incited demonstrators, although he also said that "not all demonstrators were conspirators". He added that the chaos in Syria had an Israeli agenda, but did not elaborate.
"This is the end of Syria," said one young engineer from the capital, Damascus. "There was no apology and no promise of reform. This only makes us angrier. He could have at least expressed sorrow for those who have died."
Residents of the southern city of Deraa, where at least 55 people have been killed during clashes with security forces, told the Guardian that the speech had been met with significant anger. Assad expressed grief for the deaths of "fathers and brothers" in Deraa and acknowledged that security forces had "made mistakes" during the clashes. However, he also said residents had a responsibility to stop the protests themselves.
"The speech was nonsense and has given security forces the green light to continue its oppression of our people," said a man who declined to be named, speaking by telephone from Deraa .
Even Assad's supporters seemed at a loss after the address, which was regularly interrupted by choreographed bursts of poetry from the floor. "Many Baathists were congratulating me today on the removal of emergency law," said one Christian businessman. "But now they are empty-handed as they face the Syrian people."