Assad won’t step down

Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday he will not step down, insisting that he still has his people's support, the foreign media reports.

``We will declare victory soon,'' he said in the speech at Damascus University broadcast live on state television. ``When I leave this post it will be also based upon the people's wishes,'' he said in his first speech since he agreed last month to an Arab League plan to halt the government crackdown on dissent.

Assad repeated his claim that a foreign conspiracy is behind the unrest, and he said it was failing, the Times of India reports.