"Syria is not Libya," Assad tells Gulf neighbours as dissidents disappear SYRIAN president Bashar Assad has insisted his regime will not fall as he lashed out at Gulf countries, which he accused of using their enormous oil wealth to try to drive him from power. Mr Assad's comments came as an opposition group, the National Co-ordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, accused the regime of being behind the disappearance of two of its leaders. Abdul-Aziz al-Kheir and Ayas Ayyash were expected to take part in a conference tomorrow in Damascus by some 20 Syrian groups that are calling for Mr Assad to step down. However, they disappeared on Thursday with a friend who had picked them up at Damascus International Airport, the group said. In the interview with the Egyptian weekly Al-Ahram Al-Arabi, Mr Assad said the rebels "will not succeed" and that a foreign military intervention such as the one that helped topple Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will "not be repeated" in Syria. He also launched one of his harshest attacks on Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have been among his strongest critics and backers of the opposition, saying they are trying to influence the region with their money. "They think their money can buy geography, history and a regional role," Mr Assad said. "They are giving terrorists weapons and money with hope of repeating the Libyan model," he added. Instead of helping regional stability they are supplying armed elements with weapons and training in order to weaken the Syrian state. The upheaval in Syria presents an opportunity for the Gulf's Sunni rulers to bolster their influence and possibly leave Shiite powerhouse Iran without its critical alliances that flow through Damascus. Mr Assad's regime, which is allied with Iran, is led by the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Syria's ties with the Gulf nations have been strained - Mr Assad once called Saudi King Abdullah and other Arab leaders "half men" for being critical of Hezbollah over the 34-day war between the Lebanese Shiite militant group and Israel in 2006. In the interview, Mr Assad added that the only way to solve the Syrian crisis is through "dialogue with the opposition" and that the "door for dialogue is open." Most Syrian opposition groups reject any talks with the regime, saying they will not accept anything less than Mr Assad's departure from power. Abdul-Azim, the opposition leader, repeated that stance and said the opposition wants a "new regime that represents the will of the people." He added his group will go ahead with the plans for tomorrow's opposition conference despite the disappearance of the two leaders. The gathering will invite European ambassadors, envoys from China and Russia, which back the regime. Syria's crisis began in March last year with anti-government demonstrations demanding reforms. The protests were met with a brutal crackdown by the regime. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday that nearly 30,000 Syrians have been killed during the 18-month uprising against the Assad regime, providing an updated death toll. The Observatory's count includes 20,935 civilians; 1,153 army defectors fighting alongside the rebels; and 7,141 Syrian troops fighting for the regime.