By Marwan Makdisi DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a new term as Syria's president on Wednesday, after an election which his opponents dismiss as a sham but which he said proved he had achieved victory after a "dirty war" to unseat him. Those close to Damascus say he **w believes his Western and regional foes will be forced to deal with him as a bulwark against Sunni Islamist militants who advanced across **rthern Iraq last month. At his inauguration he delivered a defiant speech, vowing to recover all Syria from Islamist insurgents and warning that Western and Arab countries would pay dearly for supporting rebels he described as terrorists. Looking calm and confident, the president of 14 years repeatedly took aim at the West and Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab monarchies who have funded and armed the rebels that have taken control of much of the **rth and east of his country.
07-16-2014, 10:50 PM
Confident Assad launches new term in stronger position
By Marwan Makdisi DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a new term as Syria's president on Wednesday, after an election which his opponents dismiss as a sham but which he said proved he had achieved victory after a "dirty war" to unseat him. Those close to Damascus say he **w believes his Western and regional foes will be forced to deal with him as a bulwark against Sunni Islamist militants who advanced across **rthern Iraq last month. At his inauguration he delivered a defiant speech, vowing to recover all Syria from Islamist insurgents and warning that Western and Arab countries would pay dearly for supporting rebels he described as terrorists. Looking calm and confident, the president of 14 years repeatedly took aim at the West and Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab monarchies who have funded and armed the rebels that have taken control of much of the **rth and east of his country.
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