There are many reasons why Bashar al-Assad's speech on Monday did not strike a chord with the opposition. The Syrian president spoke of conspiracies, saboteurs and vandals, declaring that there could be no compromise with those who "are terrorising the people".
For the young Syrians who are key players in the uprising, Assad failed to recognise the new politics they represent. The local co-ordinating committees, run largely by youth activists, issued a statement rejecting his idea of a national dialogue as long as demonstrations are violently suppressed.
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