Syrian official says regime won't back down first
Source: AP
BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian official says Damascus will not pull troops from cities and towns engulfed in the country's unrest before life returns to normal in these areas.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdessi told state TV late Friday the military is in these cities "in a state of self defense and protecting civilians."
He spoke just hours after the U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's office appealed on Syria's government to stop military activities first as "the stronger party" and in a "gesture of good faith."
Syria's uprising began a year ago with peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad's regime. In the face of a fierce crackdown, it has become increasingly militarized. The rebels now demand Assad's ouster.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-31/syria-troops-unrest/53906564/1