Beirut, June 20
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pledged reforms within months to address a wave of protests against his rule today, but blamed saboteurs for the unrest and warned that no deal could be reached with gunmen.

Assad said a national dialogue would start soon to review new legislation including laws on parliamentary elections, the media, and allowing political parties other than his Baath Party, as well as look at possible changes to the constitution.

However, activists and analysts dismissed his promises, saying they failed to engage the demands of protesters who for three months have defied a fierce military crackdown in rallying for greater freedoms, posing the gravest challenge to his 11-year tenure.

After his speech, delivered at Damascus University, demonstrators hit the streets of the capital's suburbs and in the coastal city of Latakia, activists and residents said. "The regime has no realisation that this is a mass street movement demanding freedom and dignity," opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said.

"Assad has not said anything to satisfy the families of the 1,400 martyrs or the national aspiration of the Syrian people for the country to become a democracy."

The US and European Union have already imposed sanctions on Assad and other senior officials. EU foreign ministers said on Monday they were preparing to expand the number of targets of sanctions.

Addressing the economic impact of the unrest, Assad urged Syrians to help restore confidence in their economy. "The most dangerous thing we face in the next stage is the weakness or collapse of the Syrian economy, and a large part of the problem is psychological," he said.

In just his third speech since unrest began in March, Assad appeared tense as he pledged to pursue a national dialogue on reforms and held out the prospect of expanding a recent amnesty, but made clear he would not be leaving as protesters demand.

"We have to distinguish between (those who have legitimate demands) and saboteurs. The saboteurs are a small group that tried to exploit the kind majority of the Syrian people to carry out their many schemes," he said. — Reuters

Tunis, June 20
Tunisia’s ex-president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the first leader toppled in a wave of Arab uprisings, went on trial in his absence today, accused of plundering the country among other charges.

The former strongman fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14 in the face of a popular uprising against his 23-year rule and is to be tried over some 93 cases against him and his entourage. He denies any wrongdoing but could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of theft, drugs and weapons charges.

Ben Ali’s lawyers intend to ask the court to postpone the tril to allow them time to prepare his defence, one of his lawyers said yesterday.

His Beirut-based lawyer Akram Azoury said earlier he “strongly denies all charges they are trying to press as he never possessed the sums of money they claimed to have found in his office.”

Today’s trial is only the beginning of a long legal process that may see top members of Ben Ali’s regime in the dock over allegations including murder, torture and money laundering . — AFP 

Colombo, June 20
Sri Lanka has rejected a US court summons served on President Mahinda Rajapaksa over a $30 million damages suit against him.The summons, first delivered to ‘Temple Trees’ but not accepted there, was later received by the Ministry of Justice, which rejected it.

“It was based on an unfounded allegation. We have no obligation to respond to that as a sovereign state,” Justice Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamlath told the state-owned ‘Lakhanda’ radio.

He said Sri Lanka had stated in writing the legal position on the issue to the US court. “We have informed the District Court of the Southern District of Columbia of our legal position,” Gamlath was quoted as saying by the Sunday Times.

He said the Sri Lankan statute, the Mutual Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters Act No 39 of 2000, had laid down that the country need not heed such summons, “if we consider that the execution of the request will be prejudicial to the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.” Gamlath argued that Lankan President enjoyed legal immunity as the head of state and no court could summon him.President Rajapaksa is expected to visit New York in September this year for the United Nations General Assembly sessions. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Indian-American doctor couple killed in US plane crash
Washington: An Indian-American doctor couple, parents of controversial author Kavya Viswanathan, were killed when their single-engine aircraft crashed into a corn field in Ohio shortly after takeoff. The New Jersey-based couple, Dr Viswanathan Rajaraman, 54, a well known brain cancer specialist who was flying the aircraft, and Dr Mary J. Sundaram, 50, had arrived in Columbus on Friday after visiting Kaavya in Washington DC. Kaavya, 24, made headlines in 2006 because of plagiarism allegations against her novel, “How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life”. — PTI

8-yr-old forced to wear suicide vest
Islamabad: An eight-year-old Pakistani girl was kidnapped by Islamist militants who forced her to wear a suicide vest to attack security forces, the police said on Monday. The police produced the girl, identified as Sohana Jawed, before a news conference broadcast on Pakistani television channels. Forced to wear a suicide vest, she was transported to a security check post in a small town in the Lower Dir district in the northwest. — Reuters