President blames ‘conspirators’ for unrest in Syria

The speech is seen as a crucial test for his leadership and one that may determine Syria’s future.

Mr Assad said security forces were given “clear instructions” not to harm citizens during the protests but human rights groups say more than 60 people have been killed since March 18 in a crackdown on the protests.

The coming days will be key to determining whether Mr Assad’s concessions will quiet the protest movement, which started after security forces arrested several teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a wall in the impoverished city of Daraa in the south.

Mr Assad is also expected to announce constitutional amendments and sweeping reforms, including an end to nearly 50 years of widely despised state of emergency laws that give the regime a free hand to arrest people without charges.

Mr Assad’s speech was surprising not so much for what he said but for what he left out. His adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, said last week that Syria had formed a committee to study a series of reforms and constitutional amendments, including lifting the state of emergency laws, in place since Mr Assad’s Baath party took power in 1963.

He had been widely expected to formally announce those changes but the fact he failed to mention any of them was a major disappointment for protesters who have taken to the streets since March 18, calling for reform.

Within minutes of his speech, social networking sites exploded with activists expressing bitter disappointment, with some calling on Syrians to take to the streets immediately.

“The fact that he is blaming everything on conspirators means that he does not even acknowledge the root of the problem,” said Razan Zaitouneh, a Syrian lawyer and pro-reform activist.

Mr Assad, who inherited power 11 years ago from his father, appears to be following the lead of other autocratic leaders in the region who tried to put down popular uprisings by offering minor concessions and brutal crackdowns. The formula failed in Tunisia and Egypt.

The unrest in Syria could have implications well beyond its borders given its role as Iran’s top Arab ally and as a front line state against Israel.