Syrian Leader Defends Crackdown

Posted August 21st, 2011 at 3:00 pm (UTC-5)
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is defending his crackdown on political unrest and says criticism from Western countries means nothing to him.

Mr. Assad made the remarks in a lengthy interview with Syria's state-run television on Sunday night.

The United States, the European Union and other Western powers have said that Mr. Assad must go.

The Syrian president said his security forces are making gains against the 5-month-old uprising.

He repeated plans to introduce reforms and said that in six months there will new elections for Syria's national assembly.

The U.N.'s human rights office said last week that Mr. Assad's forces have carried out widespread and systematic attacks on civilians that may amount to crimes against humanity.

U.N. Human Rights chief Navi Pillay told the Security Council it should refer the situation in Syria to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.