Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a new seven-year term yesterday, warning Western and Arab governments that they will pay dearly for backing those who took up arms against him.
In a triumphant speech delivered after he took the oath of office at a red-carpet ceremony in Damascus, al-Assad branded the 2011 Arab uprisings a “fake spring.”
Al-Assad, 48, last month won an election held only in regime-controlled territories by 88.7 percent, which was labeled a “farce” by his detractors as it was staged more than three years into a devastating war that has killed more than 170,000 people and uprooted millions.
Photo: AFP
“Syrians, three years and four months ... have passed since some cried ‘freedom,’” al-Assad said yesterday, referring to the 2011 revolt.
“They wanted a revolution, but you have been the real revolutionaries. I congratulate you for your revolution and for your victory,” he told his supporters. “Those who lost their way can now see clearly ... the monstrous faces have been unveiled, the mask of freedom and the revolution has fallen.”
Al-Assad’s inauguration comes as much of the world’s attention is focused elsewhere, with violence engulfing Iraq and Gaza, even though his troops continue to pound rebel-held areas of second city Aleppo.
More than 1,000 people were invited to the inauguration, with al-Assad arriving at the presidential palace in a black sedan and being met by a military band. Parliamentarians and other guests cheered for him in the hall where he spoke.
Samir Nashar, a veteran dissident and member of the rebel coalition, admitted the world’s attention has turned away from Syria.
“The situation in the Middle East is changing very fast. Unfortunately for Syrians, the instability has distracted the international community’s attention,” he said.
Nashar said the Syrian president has managed to portray his regime as a more acceptable option “in comparison to the Islamic State [militant group] and extremism, especially in the eyes of European countries.”
Analysts say the rise of jihadists has been a “gift” for al-Assad, who from the outset branded the revolt a foreign-backed “terrorist plot.”
Al-Assad would try to take advantage of the West’s fear of Islamic extremism and present himself as a bulwark against it, they said.
Al-Assad “is telling them: ‘I am your man in the region, I can face the terrorists and extremists, give me your support and your recognition,’” Nashar said.
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