Assad Calls For Dialogue, But Rhetoric Remains Harsh

Syrian President Bashar Assad has promised a national dialogue while continuing to blame mass protests on "saboteurs" and "vandalism," reports the Washington Post.

Assad spoke Monday on national television for more than an hour at Damascus University. It was his third public address since the uprising began.

He vowed to institute several economic and political reforms, and urged refugees who have fled to Turkey to return home.

Opponents dismissed the remarks, noted various...