Assad sworn in

At a ceremony in Damascus on Wednesday, Assad placed his hand on a copy of the Koran and pledged to "respect the country's constitution, laws and its republican system and to look after the interests of the people and their freedoms."

Assad was elected last month in a vote that was only contested in parts of Syria where Assad's regime maintains control. This excluded millions of voters. Syria's self-proclaimed opposition-in-exile, the National Coalition, could not field a canddiate and rejected the elections before they were held. Assad received 88.7 percent of the vote. Many Western countries also cried foul about the election results.

In a speech following the inauguration, Assad lashed out at countries that are supporting Syrian rebels opposing his regime. He called the opposition fighters who have been locked in civil war with regime forces "terrorists," and praised Syrians who voted him into office for "defeating the dirty war."

Countries, including regional Arab powers, who Assad blamed for inciting the violence in Syria, would "pay a high price for supporting terror," he said.

The Syrian civil war has gone on for over three years and has claimed 170,000 lives, according to UN estimates. The unrest began as part of the so-called "Arab Spring" protests that took hold in parts of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011.

mz/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)