Syrian president sworn in for second term

DAMASCUS, Syria, July 17 (UPI) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad officially began his second seven-year term Tuesday.

Assad, who in May won 97 percent of the vote as the sole candidate, was sworn in Tuesday in Damascus, Alalam Satellite News reported.

Assad, 41, who belongs to the Baath party, first took office in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria for three decades.

Assad's first term was marked by deteriorating relations with the United States, which imposed economic sanctions on Damascus in 2004 over its policies towards Iraq and Lebanon.