Syria's Assad warns Arab League against intervention

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Assad said recent attacks - including one in which 34 troops were killed by rebel Free Syrian Army members at an air force base - showed he and his forces were facing armed opposition, not peaceful protests, The Herald Sun reports.

"The conflict will continue and the pressure to subjugate Syria will continue," he said. "Syria will not bow down."

He took aim at the 22-member Arab League, which suspended Syria's membership last week, saying, "If they are logical, rational and realistic, they shouldn't do it because the repercussions are very dire. Military intervention will destabilize the region as a whole, and all countries will be affected."

He detailed his plans to prevent future attacks, saying he would "search for the armed people, chase the armed gangs, prevent the entry of arms and weapons from neighboring countries, prevent sabotage and enforce law and order."

The comments were published early Sunday, shortly after an Arab League deadline for Damascus to stop its lethal crackdown on dissent expired.

The UN says Assad's crackdown has killed more than 3500 people since mid-March.