Assad denies involvement in chemical weapons attack in August: CBS

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 8, 2013 5:58PM GMT

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected accusations that he was behind a deadly chemical attack in August, the American CBS television network says.

In an interview with the network's Charlie Rose, Assad denied being involved in the controversial attack last month.

During the interview to be aired on CBS on Monday, the Syrian president also called on US lawmakers to reject a military strike on his country, warning Washington of a possible retaliation.

'He [Assad] denied that he had anything to do with the attack,' Rose said on Sunday. 'He denied that he knew there was a chemical attack, notwithstanding what has been said and notwithstanding the videotape."

'The most important thing, as he says, is that 'there's no evidence that I used chemical weapons against my own people',' he added.

The recent comments by Assad come as Washington and its allies are planning a military intervention in the Arab country, accusing Damascus of being responsible for the attack.

The recent war rhetoric against Syria first gained momentum on August 21, when the militants operating inside the country and its foreign-backed opposition claimed that over a thousand people had been killed in a government chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka, and Jobar.

Damascus categorically rejected the accusation, but a number of Western countries, including the US, France, and the UK, quickly started campaigning for war.

Since then, media outlets have reported US plans for likely surgical attacks, which would be in the form of "cruise-missile strikes," and "could rely on … US destroyers in the Mediterranean."

SZH/PR