Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad claims that today's parliamentary elections will strike a blow against "terrorism," Associated Press reports.
"This war is not only about terrorism," he told state TV. "It is true that terrorism managed to destroy much of the infrastructure and it managed to shed lots of blood, but it failed to realize the main goal, which is to strike at the main infrastructure in Syria, the social infrastructure and the national identity."
Critics, however, say that the new 250-seat legislature will merely follow Assad's instructions. France, in particular, is calling the move a "sham."