BEIRUT — Syria promised to comply with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire beginning today but carved out an important condition — that the regime still has a right to defend itself against the terrorists that it says are behind the year-old uprising.
Wednesday’s statement held a glimmer of hope that a peace initiative by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan could help calm the conflict that has killed about 9,000 people. But the regime still has ample room to maneuver.
Syria said on the state-run news agency that the army has fought off “armed terrorist groups” and reasserted state authority across the country.
“A decision has been taken to stop these missions as of the morning of Thursday, April 12, 2012,” the statement said. “Our armed forces are ready to repulse any aggression carried out by the armed terrorist groups against civilians or troops.”
The government denies that it is facing an uprising by Syrians who want to dislodge the authoritarian family dynasty that has ruled the country for more than four decades.
Because the regime has treated any sign of dissent as a provocation, there are only dim hopes for an end to bloodshed.
The White House cautioned that President Bashar Assad’s regime has reneged on similar promises in the past.
Annan is set to brief the U.N. Security Council today.
Many activists predict that huge numbers of protesters would flood the streets if Assad fully complies with the deal.
