Assad Sworn In for 3rd Term as Syrian President; Stays Pres. Despite 170,000 Deaths in Syrian War

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a new seven-year term today (July 16, 2014), after his victory in last month's election that affirmed his grip on power more than three years into Syria's ongoing civil war, the Telegraph (British) website reports.

Dismissed as a sham by Assad's opponents -- including the United States -- the vote was held in June in areas of central and northern Syria that remain under state control. Large areas of Syria have fallen to an insurgency dominated by Islamists, including a powerful al Qaeda offshoot known as the Islamic State (IS) that has also seized regions of Iraq.

Assad -- supported by Russia and Iran -- has defied calls by Western states for him to step aside during the conflict that started in 2011 with protests against his dictatorial rule, before descending into a civil war that has killed more than 170,000 people. He became president of Syria on the death of his father in 2000.

U.S. President Barack Obama had threatened Assad of American military action if Assad used chemical weapons against the Syrian people during its civil war; however, Obama failed to carry out his threat despite Assad's use of chemical weapons. Recent reports from Syria indicate that Assad is still using chemicals against Syrians by allowing the nation's military to drop barrels filled with chemicals from helicopters and planes.