Beirut - Syria's embattled president is set to address the nation for only the third time since the country's uprising began in March. Monday's speech will be a key test of whether President Bashar al-Assad will bend to opposition demands. But many of the protesters insist they will accept nothing less than the regime's downfall. The opposition estimates more than 1400 Syrians have been killed and 10,000 detained as Assad's forces try to preserve his grip on power. Nearly 11,000 people have fled into neighboring Turkey. The Syrian government claims the unrest is being driven by criminals, not true reform seekers. The uprising has proven to be the boldest challenge to the Assad family's 40-year dynasty in Syria. The president, now 45, inherited power in 2000.
