He has been seen but barely heard since June last year, but in a highly choreographed speech to an audience of the faithful, Bashar al Assad addressed the nation from an opera house in Damascus.
The raucous crowd regularly interrupted the president's hour-long speech with cries of "We will sacrifice our blood and soul for you Bashar," as he called on Syrians to rise up and defend the nation.
Throughout he blamed foreign powers and al Qaeda jihadist "terrorists" for the country's descent into a conflict that has displaced half a million people and killed 60,000.
He insisted it was a plot against Syria.
"We are in a state of war, an extended vicious war," he said. "It is more harmful than normal war. We have to defend our country."
The president unveiled an apparent peace initiative; promising a "national charter", a referendum, elections and a new government.
But he made it clear he wouldn't be standing down any time soon and that he would not negotiate with those who have taken up arms against him.
He said any changes would be to assist - not replace - what is existing in Syria.
That means he is not going anywhere until he decides to stand down.
Reaction from inside and outside Syria to the speech was swift and unanimous in its condemnation.
The EU called on Assad to step down, Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted that the promises of reform would "fool no one", and the opposition coalition in Syria dismissed the speech out of hand.
As he left the stage to huge cheers and clapping, supporters mobbed the president as he moved to shake hands. Security guards eventually led him away.
Whatever the support he had inside Damascus there, it's not reflected nationally.
There are a huge number of people now who obviously want him to leave.
As he said, they are in a midst of a very nasty war, and there is nothing to indicate, especially after this speech, that's going to change at all.
Any hope there might be compromise? He's dashed that.
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