Syria's government has declared it has defeated those seeking to bring it down while reiterating support for a UN-Arab peace plan, as its troops reportedly shelled rebels in the city of Homs.
Foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi, cited by the official SANA news agency, also said Syrian troops would only draw back from urban areas once the security situation is stable.
The UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed in the crackdown by forces of President Bashar al-Assad on an Arab Spring-inspired uprising that began a year ago with pro-democracy protests.
Hillary Clinton said the Syrian government is being disingenuous about ending the crackdown against its own people.
The US Secretary of State is with Gulf Arab leaders in the Saudi capital Riyadh. She also said special envoy Kofi Annan should put further pressure on Assad.
Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports.
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