Syrian Leader Vows 'Iron Fist', Blasts Arab League

By artappraiser on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 11:24pm |

By Nour Malas, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 11, 2012

BEIRUT—Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday he wouldn't relinquish power and is determined to steer the country through a historic crisis, in a rare address that several regime opponents saw as setting the stage for redoubled violence.

President Assad vowed to use an "iron fist" to fight terrorists, the government's characterization of its opponents.

He also slammed the Arab League publicly for the first time since it sent observers into Syria last month to oversee a ceasefire agreement, casting further doubt over the prospects for the one on-the-ground diplomatic initiative trying to help end the deadly conflict. He mocked the pan-Arab body as historically incompetent and called its wealthy Gulf Arab monarchies unfit to advise on democratic reforms [....]

URL:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577152172849483542.html