Syrian President Bashar Al Assad on Sunday said the opposition in Syria has become 'more militant' in recent weeks, bllithely adding he is "not worried".

"As for the security situation," Assad said during an interview broadcast on Syrian television. "[It] has become more militant in the recent weeks and specially last Friday. We are capable of dealing with it.. [I] am not worried."
 
Last Friday gunmen loyal to Assad killed fourteen protesters in the seminal protest-city of Dara'a when demonstrations were staged there after Friday's weekly afternoon Muslim prayers. The slayings came one day after Assad promised United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon operations against civilians 'were over.'
 
Sunday's TV interview was Al Assad's fourth public appearance since the revolt against his family's 40-year rule erupted in mid-March, but this is the first time he has agreed to take questions - albeit from the state-owned network.
 
He also said his regime would not bow to 'imperial powers.' EU governments have drafted a legislation for an embargo on import of Syrian crude oil by the 27 member states. The union is expected to pass the agreement on Tuesday.
 
The Syrian Opposition responded to the interview saying any fresh statements by Assad will make no difference at this stage for a president they claimed has lost legitimacy in the eyes of his own people and the international community.
 
Omar Al Hamwi, spokesman for the Coordination Committee of Peaceful Syrian Revolution in Hama, said Al Assad's regime will never change. 
 
"This regime is like a walnut that you cannot peel off to get the fruit," Al Hamwi said. "The only way is to break it." 
 
The United States and Britain last week said they were drafting a resolution for sanctions against Assad's regime to present to the United Nations Security Council. To date sanctions have been imposed by individual nations and not the world body.
 
Diplomats also called last week for Assad to be referred to the International Criminal Court for the conduct of his security forces during the increasingly bloody crackdown he has overseen.
 
Meanwile, the UN mission dispatched to investigate human rights violations by Assad's regime began its first full day in Damascus on Sunday, arriving the previous evening to assess humanitarian needs in the wake of the crackdowns which left more than 2,500 people dead.