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Syria's Assad to Address Nation Sunday

In this photo dated June 20, 2011 and released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad delivers a speech in Damascus, Syria, at Damascus University.

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VOA News

January 05, 2013

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is set to deliver a speech Sunday, in a rare address to his embattled nation.

The state-run news agency SANA said Assad will "speak about the latest developments" in Syria, a country wracked by a nearly two-year civil war that analysts say has killed more than 60,000 people. The news agency did not provide further details.

The address will be the president's first in months, and comes as intense fighting between rebels and government forces continues on the outskirts of Damascus.

In this image from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, smoke rises due to shelling in the Damascus countryside, Jan. 2, 2013.

Fighting has raged for weeks near the capital, as rebels continue to press an offensive aimed at toppling the government. Forces loyal to Assad have responded with heavy artillery and deadly airstrkes.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported fighting Saturday in suburbs south of the city, with at least 10 fatalities.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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by: Anonymous

January 06, 2013 5:15 AM

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Let me guess he is going to blame the west and al qaeda for all the deaths in Syria, and that he is fighting them. He wont mention whatsoever he is sorry for thousands of civilians he killed (bombed or shot by sniper), tortured , or displaced. He likes to flip things around and blame it on anyone but himself as a way to try and mislead the people of his actual crimes. Who knows maybe he will apologize for dropping cluster bombs in neighborhoods, but I doubt it...

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by: Our Beloved Planet !!! from: USA

January 07, 2013 5:28 AM

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That’s all right, we quite agree with your view!
Our dear Anonymous!
You are really a noble person, because you not only love your nation, but also all wretched people the world over.Wishing that, all your noble dreams for your motherland and the whole world will become true soon. Love!

by: Dangerous Consequences from: USA

January 06, 2013 4:57 AM

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Assad has used heavy miliary measures (heavy artillery, air forces…) to attack civil Syrians. This makes very painful deaths of many innocent people in Syria.
Therefore, he is not a legal president of Syria any more.
At present, the best way for him is giving up power and returning it to Syrian people as soon as possible.
If he goes on resolving Syrian problems with so wrong ways recently, surely, he will face the worst consequences, in the near future.

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by: Anonymous

January 06, 2013 3:06 PM

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You are absolutely correct.

by: Anonymous

January 05, 2013 7:51 PM

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His speeches don't matter at all anymore. After terrorizing millions of people in Syria, he is the most wanted terrorist in Syria.

Who would ever listen to the lies that come out of that mans mouth? Him and his father have killed more innocent people than Osama Bin Laden.

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by: Anonymous

January 06, 2013 3:12 PM

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RE: idoon Darian

We are not talking about the 1930s or 1967 we are talking about the killing going on now and for the past year of civilians. We are talking about the killing of a so called military against their own homeland. In the modern world this is called "Genocide" not fighting terrorists. You can try and bring up a blame game or try and say what about this or that,. but the proof is in the pudding. During his speech he was still killing people. Meenwhile he is smiling on stage trying to say that everyone he has been killing is terrorists. Do children look like terrorists to you? He drops bombs in civilian areas and thinks he can get away with it. Nobody will stand for this type of activity. His speech was before an auditorium filled with his so called military and their families. To me they are cold blooded murderers inflicting death on civilians or anyone else in their way, They have no respect for human life and even moreso in their own country. There is nothing that you can say that can balance my thinking into thinking he is some sort of good guy, or not a cold blooded murderer.

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by: Kidoon Darian from: Los Angeles.

January 05, 2013 10:11 PM

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Where was the world Major FORCES / Powers, all these past years? Do they just woke up?
DO the major powers really have Syria's interest at heart?
If so, why not ask:
1. Ask Turkey to give back the territories they have occupied since 1930 s; The iskandaroon region; NW part of Syria.

2. What about The Golan Heights in South WESTERN PART OF Syria? Stil occupied since 1967?

3. What about minority interests, rigths, the ability to live in post Assad Syria? How much guarantees will there be for the minorities to live in peace, side by side the Muslims?? Who will protect them?
Look what's goIng on in Iraq?

4. The Western Powers must be very serious / fair and objective in dealing with th epopulation in that part fo the world.

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Syria's Assad to Address Nation Sunday

<h1>Syria's Assad to Address Nation Sunday</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is set to deliver a speech Sunday, in a rare address to his embattled nation.<br /> <br /> The state-run news agency SANA said Assad will "speak about the latest developments" in Syria, a country wracked by a nearly two-year civil war that analysts say has killed more than 60,000 people. The news agency did not provide further details.<br /> <br /> The address will be the president's first in months, and comes as intense fighting between rebels and government forces continues on the outskirts of Damascus.<br /> <br /> <div class='contentImage floatNone' style='width:640px'><div class='watermark'><a href='http://gdb.voanews.com/52451BC8-049E-4F85-B457-9499528FCEA2_mw1024_n_s.jpg' rel='ibox' title="In this image from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, smoke rises due to shelling in the Damascus countryside, Jan. 2, 2013."><img class='photo' alt="In this image from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, smoke rises due to shelling in the Damascus countryside, Jan. 2, 2013." border='0' src='http://gdb.voanews.com/52451BC8-049E-4F85-B457-9499528FCEA2_w640_r1_s_cx0_cy0_cw0.jpg' /></a></div><span class='imageCaption'>In this image from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, smoke rises due to shelling in the Damascus countryside, Jan. 2, 2013.</span></div> <br /> Fighting has raged for weeks near the capital, as rebels continue to press an offensive aimed at toppling the government. Forces loyal to Assad have responded with heavy artillery and deadly airstrkes.  <br /> <br /> The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported fighting Saturday in suburbs south of the city, with at least 10 fatalities.<br /> <br /> <span class="article11"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","";">Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.</span></i></span><link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/syia_assad_to_address_nation_sunday/1578400.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/syia_assad_to_address_nation_sunday/1578400.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1578400&SiteId=415&r=2021307064&it=0&pd=20130105201556&url=ArticleID1578400" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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