Syria foreign minister promises democracy

Syria's foreign minister said Wednesday the Damascus government would soon present "an unprecedented example of democracy" in the troubled Middle East, an extraordinary promise in a country facing an uprising against an authoritarian system in place for decades.

Speaking during a televised news conference, Foreign Minister Walid Moallem's comments were the latest attempt by the regime to blunt three months of widespread street protests against President Bashar Assad's autocratic rule, a movement that has persisted despite a bloody crackdown reportedly killing hundreds. (AP)