Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned the US that there will be “repercussions” if it goes ahead with Barack Obama’s plans for a targeted military strike in response to the alleged chemical weapons attack in Damascus.
In his first American TV interview for two years, the dictator told journalist Charlie Rose: “You should expect everything.” While he stopped short of describing his remarks as a threat, he said: “I am not a fortune teller to tell you what’s going to happen.”
The danger did not just come from his own government, Mr Assad added, making a reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the invasion of Iraq.
When asked if all-out chemical warfare could be one of the “repercussions” he meant, Mr Assad said it “depends if the rebels or the terrorists in this region – or any other group – have it (chemical weapons)”. He added: “It could happen.”
And in a final ominous statement released by CBS ahead of the full interview’s showing tonight, Mr Assad warned: “You are going to pay the price if you are not wise with dealing with terrorists.”
Mr Rose’s entire conversation with the leader of the Syrian regime is set to air at 2am (BST) tonight on PBS.
In comments made on the network’s Face the Nation programme earlier, the journalist gave advance warning of some of the claims made by Mr Assad.
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