Syrian president vows to 'live and die' in Syria, warns against foreign invasion From Holly Yan and Hamdi Alkhshali, CNN November 8, 2012 -- Updated 1254 GMT (2054 HKT) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is shown during a visit to Moscow on January 25, 2005. Russian media: Bashar al-Assad warns of a "domino" effect from the Atlantic to the Pacific The Syrian National Council announces a new body to include "all opposition groups" The plan calls for the SNC to hold the highest percentage of representation Meanwhile, Western leaders are meeting in Doha, Qatar, to try to forge a broader opposition front (CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insists he will "live and die" in Syria, even as countries offer him safe passage in exchange for halting a gruesome civil war. "I'm not a puppet, and I was not made by the West to go to the West or to any other country," he told Russia Today TV. I am Syrian. I was made in Syria and to live and die in Syria. He also made an ominous threat against foreign intervention, saying it would have a "domino impact" on the world. "I think that the cost of foreign invasion of Syria, if it happened, would be greater than one that the whole world can afford," he told Russia Today. Because if there were problems in Syria, particularly as we are the last bastion of secularism, stability and coexistence in the region, it will have a domino impact that will affect the world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. And you know its implications on the rest of the world. I do not think that the West is moving in this direction, but if they do, no one can predict what will happen after. Al-Assad's comments came after British Prime Minister David Cameron broached the idea of giving him "safe passage" if that's what it takes to stop the bloodshed in Syria. "Anything, anything to get that man out of the country and to have a safe transition in Syria," Cameron told Al-Arabiya TV. Even Tunisia, the first country in the region last year to oust its longtime ruler, has offered asylum to al-Assad in an attempt to prevent further violence. Meanwhile, a prominent Syrian opposition group and Western leaders are trying to unite the opposition to form an alternative to al-Assad's government. But while the Syrian National Council is trying to maintain a majority rule in unification efforts, the West is trying to dilute the group's dominance. Once viewed by Western countries as "a legitimate representative of the Syrian opposition," the SNC scrambled to regroup after Western leaders said it should no longer be the face of the Syrian rebellion. The SNC announced the formation of a "national conference" in which "all opposition groups participate, with SNC having the highest percentage of representation." "The National Conference shall consist of 300 participants from the SNC, local councils in the liberated areas, defected technocrats, independent opposition groups and national armed resistance groups under the umbrella of the (rebel) Free Syrian Army," the group said. Representatives from Britain, France, the United States and Turkey are meeting in Qatar on Thursday to try to ensure Syria's opposition is represented by more than just the Syrian National Council. "Our objective is to encourage Syria's opposition groups to unite around a vision for a democratic and stable Syria," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement. This is necessary to offer the Syrian people a credible alternative to the Assad regime and to achieve an inclusive political transition that ends the appalling bloodshed and reflects the will of the Syrian people. The Doha meeting comes after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the SNC -- which consists largely of expatriates -- should no longer be considered the "visible leader" of efforts to form a new government. The inability so far to create a unified opposition front has helped prolong Syria's bloody conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 people over the past 20 months. CNN's Arwa Damon contributed to this report. November 7, 2012 -- Updated 1754 GMT (0154 HKT)