Syria in ‘a state of war’ – Assad

A year after uprisings against his government began to tear through Syria, president Bashar al-Assad said that the country is now "in a state of war" and that the government should focus all of its energies to "winning" the war.

Assad also lambasted Western governments who called for him to step down in the wake of alleged atrocities committed by his government, claiming that the West "takes and never gives and this has been proven at every stage", adding that while his government strives for amicable relationships with all countries, Syria must also be fully aware of where its interests lie.

Instead of striving to bridge with Western countries, Assad suggested that Syria should strive to strike up partnerships with Eastern and Southern regions - singling out Russia, Latin America and Africa as potential candidates.

Assad's comments were made during a speech to his Cabinet, in which the president discussed the economy and domestic matters.

During the speech to his new Cabinet (sworn in on Tuesday), Assad called for "unity" as a key element that would strengthen the Syrian nation. The posts of head of defense, the foreign minister and interior minister remain occupied by the same individuals.

Assad's speech comes in the wake of a reported 113 new deaths falling prey to the ongoing conflict between the Syrian government and opposition forces. A network of opposition activists, who reported the figure, also said that 33 people were found dead in Hameh, Qudsaya and Douma, which are suburbs in Damascus.

The State-run news agency however described the conflict as resulting in the deaths of "tens of terrorists" while adding that a "large number" were wounding, and also saying that a number of weapons were confiscated during the clash.