President Bashar al-Assad issued an amnesty for all crimes committed in Syria "up until today," with the notable exception of "terrorist crimes," state television said today.

Assad, who has been fighting a 19-month revolt against his regime, "decreed a general amnesty for crimes committed before October 23," except for those carried out by "terrorists" -- the regime's term for rebels.

The decree applies only to criminals who surrender to the authorities and not those on the run, the report said. It was not immediately clear if the amnesty includes those in prisonDAMASCUS