'End of story' nears as Syria moves to quash unrest

Syria's government said the threat from a seven-week uprising against President Bashar al-Assad was receding yesterday as security forces tightened control over protest centres across the country.

"I hope we are witnessing the end of the story," presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told a New York Times correspondent allowed into the country for a few hours - while most foreign journalists have been banned.

"I think now we've passed the most dangerous moment."

Some activists who have been risking their lives to demonstrate against Mr Assad acknowledged that they were losing hope of ousting the president because of the scale of the repression.

Mr Assad, who has maintained Syria's authoritarian Baath Party rule since inheriting power from his father in 2000, held out the prospect of political reform when unrest first erupted in March but turned to the military two weeks ago to crush dissent.

"The military option has worked," said one activist from Damascus. "One way or another things are settled now. We have lost a golden and rare opportunity to do something. Now it is lost."

He added: "The protests will continue but will not grow in popularity. The (security] operations will continue. Regardless of what people think, this regime has not used force yet - it can be more aggressive."

Syrian rights groups say at least 630 civilians have been killed in the unrest nationwide and thousands arrested, prompting western condemnation and sanctions.

A Damascus resident reported hearing heavy gunfire yesterday in the capital's south-western suburb of Mouadhamiya, which has seen protests against Mr Assad's rule.

"I tried to get in through Mouadhamiya's main entrance but there were scores of soldiers with rifles turning cars back," the witness said.

Officials have blamed most of the violence on "armed terrorist groups", backed by Islamist groups and foreign agitators, and say about 100 soldiers and police have been killed in the unrest.

Ms Shaaban said armed militants had manipulated "the legitimate demands of the people", calling them "a combination of fundamentalists, extremists, smugglers, people who are ex-convicts and are being used to make trouble".

Syria's secular and Islamist opposition have failed to unify their demands or develop an agreed plan to build on the protests.Some called for Mr Assad's fall while others sought only reforms.

Several activists and opposition figures arrested as part of the crackdown were released on Monday, according to the National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria.

Ms Shaaban said she had been asked to open talks and had met opposition leaders, promising them a freer press, political parties and an election law.

However, most analysts doubt Mr Assad's willingness to bring in meaningful reform.