'Iron fist'

On Wednesday, President Assad made a surprise appearance at an open air rally by thousands of his supporters in Damascus. Mr Assad said he wanted to show his love for the Syrian people."You are standing against a desecration of our identity, and you are confirming your steadfastness and support for the armed forces, whose martyrs are falling every single day so you can live in safety," he added. His short appearance came a day after he gave a televised speech, in which he said the Arab League had failed over the last six decades to bring about change."Regional and international sides have tried to destabilise the country," he said."Our priority now is to regain the security in which we basked in for decades, and this can only be achieved by hitting the terrorists with an iron fist," the president added. Canada Goose Danmark The Syrian National Council, an opposition umbrella group, described the president's speech as an incitement to violence, and said he was "backing away from his own pledge to the Arab League plan".In Washington, state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: "Assad manages to blame a foreign conspiracy that is so vast with regard to the situation in Syria that it now includes the Arab League, most of the Syrian opposition, the entire international community.""He throws responsibility on everybody but back on himself and with regard to his own responsibility for the violence in Syria."Mr Assad's speech came as activists said security forces killed at least 35 people, including 17 in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.