Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Photo: Reuters)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday blamed 11-months of turmoil in which his forces have cracked down on pro-democracy protesters as a ploy to split the country.
"What Syria is facing is fundamentally an effort to divide it and affect its geopolitical place and historic role in the region," Assad was quoted by Syrian state television as saying, after meeting China's vice foreign minister in Damascus.
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