Addressing tens of thousands of Syrians in the capital Damascus, Assad said that the support of Syrians for his government gives him power to fight hard against the external conspiracy trying to destabilize the country. 

"I wanted to be with you so I can draw strength from you in the face of everything that Syria is subjected to. It was important that we maintain our faith in the future. I have that faith in the future and we will undoubtedly triumph over this conspiracy," the Syrian president told his supporters, Reuters reported. 

"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. 

Assad's wife Asma and their two children joined him for his surprise appearance in the capital's central Umayyad Square.

"I belong to this street," Assad, 46, said, adding Syria faced foreign conspirators. "We will make this phase the end for them and their plans. We are going to win without any doubt."

His remarks followed a 100-minute speech on Tuesday in which he censured the Arab League, vowed to hit "terrorists" with an iron fist and promised reforms, but with no hint that he would relinquish the power he inherited from his father in 2000.

The Arab League, which suspended Syria in November for failing to halt its crackdown on protests, sent an observer mission in December that has not stopped the violence. It urged Syria this week to protect its observers.

In his speech on Tuesday, Assad had scorned the Arab League for trying to discipline Syria, saying it had "failed for six decades to take a position in the Arab interest" and that "the Arab League without Syria suspends its own Arab identity."

The Syrian president, however, said that Damascus will not close the door on any Arab solution which respects its sovereignty. 

"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," Assad said. 

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March. According to the UN, over 5,000 people have been killed in ten-month long unrest. 

While the West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters, Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad. Add Comments>>