( CNN ) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defied expectations and dashed widespread hopes during an anticipated nationally televised speech Wednesday when he made no mention of lifting a state of emergency . In his rambling 45-minute speech to the National Assembly , he acknowledged that Syrians want reform and that the government has not met their needs . Making several references to an anti-Syria `` conspiracy '' and threats to `` stability , '' al-Assad said strife can not win out over future reforms . `` Although President al-Assad did acknowledge the need for reform , his failure to address head-on the lifting of the state of emergency smacks of procrastination , '' said Philip Luther , Amnesty International 's deputy director for the Middle East and Africa . `` He could declare this tomorrow if he wanted . `` He should have immediately ordered his security forces to stop using unwarranted force and announced steps towards implementing key human rights reforms . '' U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said `` the speech fell short of the type of reforms the Syrian people demanded '' and lacked substance . Al-Assad made few concrete promises after weeks of anti-government demonstrations that have left at least 61 people dead , according to Human Rights Watch . The address `` failed to commit to a specific reform agenda that would safeguard public freedoms and judicial independence and prohibit the Syrian government from encroaching on human rights , '' the group said . Reem Haddad , a spokeswoman for the Syrian Information Ministry , told CNN the emergency law `` will be lifted , '' but she said procedures must be worked out . `` The president presented his own vision '' on an announced package of reforms , Haddad said . Details will come in a `` limited time frame , '' she added . Asked if Syrians received enough information , Haddad said , `` I would n't say the people expected more . '' At least 16 people were killed after the speech in clashes in the city of Latakia , which has been a center of unrest and the site of ongoing protests for the past few days , an eyewitness and an activist told CNN . They said the deaths happened during clashes between anti-government demonstrators and security and army forces . Haddad denied any deaths in the city . The eyewitness , who did not want to be named for security reasons , said protesters started gathering in central Latakia 's Qitar Square after the speech and chanted , `` No to sectarianism , we want freedom '' and `` We stand by Daraa , '' the southern city that has seen the most violence since anti-government protests started almost two weeks ago . As the crowd reached several thousand by the afternoon , they said , army personnel and security officers began shooting at the demonstrators . `` Latakia is tense and quiet tonight following the evening 's events , '' the eyewitness said . `` We are fearful because we have received today 's violence as a message from the regime coinciding with the president 's speech . '' Another eyewitness said protests erupted in the city of Jasem , northwest of Daraa , with thousands of demonstrators in the town square . He said he also heard about demonstrations in other nearby towns . Toner said the Syrians should not interfere with planned Friday demonstrations . Al-Assad spoke a day after the Syrian cabinet resigned amid an unusual wave of unrest across the nation . Also Wednesday , the Reuters news agency reported two of its journalists are missing in Syria . Reuters quoted diplomatic sources as saying correspondent Suleiman al-Khalidi , a Jordanian national based in Amman , had been detained by the Syrian authorities in Damascus on Tuesday . The agency said photographer Khaled al-Hariri , a Syrian based in Damascus , has not been in contact with colleagues since Monday . A Syrian official said authorities were working to establish what had happened to the two men , Reuters reported , adding the agency is `` deeply concerned '' about their whereabouts . Two other Reuters journalists were detained by Syrian authorities over the weekend . Television producer Ayat Basma and cameraman Ezzat Baltaji , both Lebanese , were expelled to Lebanon , Reuters reported . Syria is the latest in a string of Arabic-speaking nations beset with discontent over economic and human rights issues . In his speech , al-Assad said Syria 's government will not fall like a domino in a string of Arab revolutions , saying that instead , Syria had kicked the dominoes of the `` conspirators '' and that they had fallen instead . Al-Assad also blamed unrest in his country on `` enemies ... working daily and scientifically to undermine the stability of Syria . '' He said they were `` stupid in choosing to target Syria . '' `` In principle , we support reform and meeting people 's needs , '' the president said . `` This is the duty of the state . But we can not be for sedition . '' He referred obliquely to the anti-government demonstrations , calling them `` a test of our unity . '' Al-Assad said , however , `` we ca n't say that everybody who went out was part of the conspiracy . That would n't be accurate . `` Syria is not isolated from what is happening in the Arab world . We are part of this region , '' al-Assad said . `` We influence and are influenced by it , but at the same time we are not a copy of other countries . '' Legislators in the People 's Assembly cheered the president when he arrived to begin the speech . The state-run SANA news agency had reported that al-Assad 's speech would `` tackle the internal affairs and the latest events in Syria '' and `` reassure the Syrian people . '' Al-Assad did make a passing reference to the emergency law , in place for almost 50 years . `` Sometimes we can postpone a certain suffering that may be caused by the emergency law or any other law or necessary measures that the citizen endures , but we can not postpone the suffering of a child whose father can not treat him because he does n't have the money for his medication or when the state does not have this drug or this treatment , '' he said . The law allows the government to make preventive arrests and override constitutional and penal code statutes . In effect since 1963 , it also bars detainees who have n't been charged from filing court complaints or from having a lawyer present during interrogations . Ihssan Zouabi , a protester in Daraa , called the president 's speech a disappointment because he did n't address demands , including lifting the emergency law . `` We were hopeful prior to the speech but after , everyone was shocked . We were expecting much , much more , '' he said . A Syrian rights activist who goes by the alias Malath Aumran for security reasons said he and other Syrians were disappointed . He said people are dying for freedom but the `` martyrs '' were n't mentioned . `` For me now , at this time ... actually he said nothing , he did nothing for us , '' Aumran said . `` All of what he said was that we are traitors , that we are working for foreign conspiracies against our country , ... that the United States is behind this , what is going on in Syria . '' Amnesty 's Luther said the group is `` disturbed by reports that security forces could already be shooting on demonstrators in Latakia who have been protesting against his speech . '' Human Rights Watch called on al-Assad to lift the state of emergency , amend a law that allows forces to punish people for peaceful expression , investigate security services and allow the registration of new political parties . CNN 's Yousuf Basil , Katy Byron , Rima Maktabi , Tracy Doueiry , Erin McLaughlin and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report .
NEW : 16 people are killed in clashes in Latakia . NEW : A government spokeswoman denies any deaths there . NEW : Two Reuters journalists are reported missing . Al-Assad makes a speech without delivering on the emergency law .