In an interview with CBS News, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued warnings that in case of US military action against Syria, “expect every action.”
When CBS’s Charlie Rose asked him whether repercussions could include the involvement of groups and governments like Iran and Hezbollah, Assad said Syria’s retaliation would take “different forms,” and that if Syria has “instability and the spread of terrorism all over” it will influence the West directly.
Assad denied US allegations of authorizing chemical weapons attacks and said, “There has been no evidence that I used chemical weapons against my own people.”
He also said that Syrian government soldiers had been attacked with chemical weapons in another area. Questioning US allegations of chemical attacks, Assad said, “How can you talk about what happened if you don’t have evidences? We’re not like the American administration. We’re not social media administration or government …”
Assad drew attention to the report on weapons of mass destruction that the then US Secretary of State Colin Powell had submitted to the UN leading to the Iraq war. He said it was a big lie and “It was false and forged.”
Meanwhile US Secretary of State John Kerry brushed aside Assad’s assertions. He said in a news conference in Paris on Monday, “We know that his regime gave orders to prepare for a chemical attack. We know they deployed forces.”
Kerry is in Paris conferring with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Kerry also said that control over Syria’s chemical weapons is strictly in the hands of three persons – Assad, his brother, and an unnamed general.
According to Kerry, Assad’s only way out is to hand over every single bit of his chemical weapon arsenal to the international community by the end of this week.
Obama is expected to address the nation on the Syria issue on Tuesday and pursue Congress authorization for military action.
This is going to be another cycle of deepening the economic inequity among Americans.
US hits oil supplier country – third world countries are cut off from oil – inflation hits third world countries and their currencies lose value against the dollar – US companies outsource more work to third world countries as now they can buy more work against the US dollar – people lose jobs at home – recession hits home – US millionaires become billionaires.
It works. Every time.