Syrian President Assad Calls Protesters ‘Saboteurs’

In a live national address this morning, Syrian president Bashar Assad accused “saboteurs” of trying to smear the world’s image of the country, by protesting his rule for the past three months. Assad also made an appeal to the thousands of Syrians who have fled to the border of Syria and Turkey to return to their homes, saying that the biggest danger facing the country is the threat of an economic collapse. Anthony Shadid  reports from Beirut for our partner, The New York Times. He speaks with us about President Assad’s speech, and whether or not it will change the course of events in Syria.