Assad: 'Expect Everything' if U.S. Attacks Syria
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syrian President Bashar Assad warned Washington on Monday to brace for retaliation if U.S. forces attacked his war-torn country, as he denied using chemical weapons against his people.
"You're going to pay the price if you're not wise. There are going to be repercussions," Assad told CBS television's "This Morning."
"It's an area where everything is on the brink of explosion. You have to expect everything."
He also warned of the risks of possible chemical attacks by rebels or "terrorists" if there was outside intervention in Syria.
In early U.S. reaction, a White House spokesman the United States is ready for any contingency.
"The United States military is far stronger than any of Assad or his allies. What we'll send is a clear message to him. He has no interest in escalating this conflict, frankly," said Ben Rhodes, a spokesman for the National Security Council.
Assad spoke in what CBS called his first interview since President Barack Obama asked Congress for approval to use military force to punish Assad for his regime's alleged use of chemical weapons in a deadly attack last month.
"You should expect everything... The government's not the only player in this region. You have different parties, different factions, different ideologies. You have everything in this decision now," Assad said.
Assad denied his forces carried out a deadly chemical weapons attack on August 21 on the outskirts of Damascus, as alleged by the United States and some of its allies.
"How can you talk about what happened if you don't have evidence?" he said in the interview, in which he spoke English.
"We're not like the American administration, we're not like the social media administration or government. We're the government that deals with evidence."
Rhodes said there is "no doubt in our mind. Assad is accountable for the use of chemical weapons by his regime."
In the interview broadcast Monday Assad said that his forces had themselves in fact been attacked by rebels using chemical arms.
"But in the area where they say the government used chemical weapons, we only have video and we only have pictures and allegations. We're not there. Our forces, our police, our institutions don't think this," Assad said.
Asked whether the repercussions he predicted could include the use of more chemical weapons, Assad replied: "That depends. If the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it, it could happen. I don't know. I'm not a fortune teller to tell you what's going to happen."
Obama will on Tuesday address Americans from the White House to discuss intervention in Syria, ahead of a possible Senate vote on authorizing force against Assad's regime later this week.
A poll released Monday showed most Americans believe Assad's regime did gas its own people, but they still strongly oppose U.S. military retaliation.
A total of 59 percent of those surveyed said Congress should not vote to give Obama authority for even limited military action in Syria, said the CNN/ORC International poll.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who testified before a the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week seeking its support for military action, said Monday in London that Assad could avert an attack by giving up his chemical weapons.
But Kerry said he had no expectation Assad would do this.
09 September 2013, 15:23
1411
benzona, calling people by animal names not only is abusive and disrespectful but brings no value to your comment.
(I wonder if naharnet's moderator will agree with me, knowing these were the very words of naharnet when i was "moderated" for using the word "pig")
09 September 2013, 15:40
129
ou la la, quelle gaminerie!
I wasn't talking about people. Why do you associate these lovely animals with people? Qui pense mal, agit mal!!!!
I was talking about the Zoo. ^^*
09 September 2013, 15:46
1311
benzo: demander une application equitable des regles de moderation c'est une gaminerie?
vous avez tous eu l'air de trouver normal que je sois modéré pour avoir dit "pig", je vois pas pourquoi "giraff" ou "monkey" serait permis.
09 September 2013, 15:48
1311
et pas la peine de faire de la mauvaise foi ici, tu ne fais que t'enfoncer. je connais peu de girafes et de singes "au zoo" qui envoient des gens se battre tout en restant dans leurs "luxurious places"
09 September 2013, 16:28
129
Waouw Mowaten. J'ai passe un bon moment en te lisant.
Tu admets implicitement que certains animaux de Zoo envoie des hommes mourir a leur place. Ton employeur sera heureux de l'apprendre ;-)
A bon entendeur... ;-)
09 September 2013, 16:48
116
Flamer: The reason this war has been dragging for so long is the same reason why it took so long for Hizb to kick Israel out of South Lebanon: the opposition has nothing but small guns and will power to face off with tanks, planes, helicopters, and so forth.
09 September 2013, 16:54
410
Maxx, well, I don't know how well informed you are regarding the matter, but rebels are well equipped have no doubt. They've looted tanks and are equipped to bring down warplanes and helicopters(many such incidents have occurred and I can link them if you want). Not even HA has that kind of thing(neither Lebanon I think).
09 September 2013, 17:22
710
benzona tu fais vraiment le clown la, c'est "mimi". je reprenais tes paroles pour souligner ta mauvaise foi.
09 September 2013, 21:15
30
Pour ne fois, oui, pour une fois que c'est moi qui fait le claoun. Ça te fait quoi d'intervertir les rôles? ^^* hehehe
Bonne soirée. J'ai fini journée. Je vais aller m'adresser à ton patron pour avoir ma paye. Hehehehe mdr.
09 September 2013, 15:23
1311
like a cheap what? i think some moderation is required here.
09 September 2013, 15:25
1411
if you dont look, you wont see.
also, you can start by looking in France, where 68% of the people are against the war, and about the same percentage in the US, and then come back to discuss "democracy"
09 September 2013, 15:36
59
This murderer should not even be given airtime. The only reason he is given this privilege is for the good service his family rendered to Israel over the years.
09 September 2013, 15:41
139
yes, of course, this is why AIPAC is deploying 250 lobbyists to push for a war against him
http://www.haaretz.com/mobile/1.545661
09 September 2013, 15:49
99
Machia, Israel's all in, so long as it isn't involved directly. Israel can benefit greatly by replacing Al-Assad with someone less sympathetic to the ever growing danger of Iran against Israeli interests:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/20139414329291833.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-organizations-in-us-support-syria-strike/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/03/us-syria-crisis-dUSBRE97K0EL20130903
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/why-israel-supports-the-syria-strike/279428/
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/white-house-congress-syria-protect-israel-96133_Page2.html
09 September 2013, 15:49
79
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/aipac-syria-_n_3862369.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
""It is imperative to adopt the resolution to authorize the use of force," the powerful Israel lobby said in a statement. It urged members of Congress to "take a firm stand that the world’s most dangerous regimes cannot obtain and use the most dangerous weapons." "
AIPAC calls for the use of force:http://www.capwiz.com/aipac/issues/alert/?alertid=62906416&type=CO
http://www.aipac.org/en/news-hub?id={3D36D091-5FD8-48EA-837A-9DE611A29922}#
"AIPAC will be lobbying in favor of Congress authorizing the President to use military force in Syria."
" We believe that Congress’ failure to grant the President this authority would be interpreted as a sign of American weakness, and cast doubt about whether America will act to carry out its commitments in the Middle East – including the President’s and Congress’ pledge to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
09 September 2013, 16:25
108
yaret southern. Shab is mr partition please. I'm anything but partition!
09 September 2013, 16:42
106
Ditto. Partition what? These 10,452 km²? Shu dal to partition? Are we gonna be competing with the Vatican for having the smallest statelets? Or with Yugoslavia for the most humiliating partitioning?
09 September 2013, 17:58
410
Sorry to disappoint you all. I don't have other accounts and I never go into personal discussions. I'm not for partion and only against those whom have Lebanese blood on their hands. The list is long.
09 September 2013, 19:24
46
yes shab the list is long, and yet you only target one side, while forgetting many others who have much more lebanese blood on their hands
09 September 2013, 15:42
1210
Yeah sure expect everything. Famous LOUD barks before the end is near. Everything....does that include Asma? When does the bidding start? lol Your going down dude and so are you scumballah!
09 September 2013, 15:46
48
Aipac Shmaipac...it is all smoke and mirrors...Israel wants Assad. They just want him to be more compliant.
09 September 2013, 15:53
109
Everyone:
Expect the two freed Italian pro syrian regime mouthpieces to unveil that the terror attacks were perpetrated by the FSA.
I'm talking about Domenico Quirico and Pierre Piccini.... it'll be tomorrows Stampa headlines. (how fortunate they were released a few hours before the launching of the Tomahawks).
09 September 2013, 15:58
57
Israel and the US want to make Assad compliant in the following way:
- giving up his chemical weapons
- restraining Hezbollah a little more
- Stop playing a dirty game in Iraq
- moderate his relations with Teheran
09 September 2013, 15:59
48
Moreover, the greater prize is the following:
- Iran to be Nuclear compliant
- Less aggressive in the Gulf
09 September 2013, 16:27
710
How about:
-Replace Al-Assad with another puppet less sympathetic to Iran
-Make Iran more afraid of the power of the US in that it delivers on what it says (e.g. preemptive strike)
-Appease the majority of the middle east (e.g. Sunnis)
-Polish the US image in the ME ((see previous point)elsewhere doesn't matter much)
All you've said can be achieved by replacing Al-Assad with someone more sympathetic to the West than to Israel.
09 September 2013, 16:09
614
..... Annnnnddd in other news, Lebanese getting overexcited about the strike!
09 September 2013, 16:33
114
Baschar: "Expect everything if U.S. attacks Syria."
U.S. attacks Syria. Baschar: "Take that!" ... and gasses another few thousand of his people.
09 September 2013, 16:35
410
endless,
I agree but Assad is still useful. He still has a strong hold over the military and is killing takfiris from all over the world by the thousands. This is why the civil war could last a few more years with Assad remaining in power.
09 September 2013, 16:43
69
Machia, agreed on all counts. I'm worried about Lebanese developments being affected by it is all, like the postponing of parliamentary elections so they know the fate of Syria to act accordingly. We shouldn't care all that much as to trample the constitution. Al-Assad is weakened and its influence too. We should be complacent in doing our very best to develop and restructure Lebanon so that when things are over in Syria no matter how, we'd be standing should to shoulder instead of kneeling in obeisance. Politicians are just too brain-dead and treasonous to figure it out.
09 September 2013, 16:38
128
Absolutely indeed! And who would dare say that Der General is a two-timing snake in the grass who got himself out of exile and back to Lebanon only to bite the hand that led him back there? Who would dare say that Der General forgot about all his followers whose fate remains unknown, spread out between Baschar's prisons and the graves? For has Der General not himself declared 13th of October as his "divine victory" during last year's anniversary?
09 September 2013, 16:39
105
lol... like we are still waiting for retaliation for the israeli bombings.... 3aw 3aw...
09 September 2013, 16:39
35
And the Syrian civil war has sucked in Hezbollah. What better outcome for Israel.
If Russia really cared about Syria they would get rid of the Assads, bring in a new face and get rid of the chemical arsenal.
But I guess the agenda is beyond that goal...
09 September 2013, 16:41
23
Hit him hard OBAMA...Assad family's messed up Lebanon for a long time...I wish as well USA to hit hard the south of Lebanon and all those people who hit themselves with chains and swords ...will disappear ....disgusting...the way the look...maybe they shower once a year....no shaving...why spices like chi3a exist...they smell really bad...HELLO Antiperspirant exist....use it....for god sake...
09 September 2013, 16:46
43
I am sure Nasser Kandil agrees. Other than that, us modest people just think that he will reserve the right to retaliate in the time and place of his choosing.
09 September 2013, 17:00
36
endless, you are totally right! Lebanese politicians are too keen to please their payroll masters.
The right thing to do is contain the internal situation by forming a government asap. Prevent a civil war. The problem is how do we contain one of the main reasons of lack of security and very weak economy in Lebanon: Hezbollah's involvement in Syria. This has direct security repercussions on Lebanon.
The policy of non-interference that Mikati's government promoted and that all parties, including Hezbollah and the Future movement (that was helping supply weapons to the rebels), agreed upon was the right one.
And it is the only way to protect our country.
09 September 2013, 17:10
64
Machia, I don't know what else I can add to this discussion; agreed.
This is what I hate about discussing politics though, you can come to conclusions and very reasonable solutions by discussing this but at the end of the day, we don't matter(until elections day that is, in which the apish masses outnumber those of us who see politicians for who, rather what, they really are).
09 September 2013, 17:14
68
I believe this "promised strike" is to eliminate more Christians out of the ME. I urge the Sunnis and Shiaa population and politician to understand the intention of the Israel-USA strike against Syria. Think about it and do the right thing. The intention of the USA-Israel no matter how sugar coated it is, carries only destruction and miseries to the Arabic people. Say NO to strike on Syria
09 September 2013, 17:17
59
They do not demonstrate against the strike because the peace-loving suicide bombers are waiting for such oppertunity
09 September 2013, 17:25
34
That is the really sad part. Most "reasonable", (by "resonable" I mean people who can use their reason without the poluting aspects of religion and money), people would come to the same conclusion.
I am sure we are not a minority but we do not have weapons nor much money. But we need to somehow find a way to have more influence on the direction of our country. Ideas?
09 September 2013, 19:24
43
Thug son of a thug ! Murderer son of a murderer ! Thief son of a thief ! Obama hit him hard !
His barking is stronger than his bite !
09 September 2013, 20:23
55
Assad barking and the Assad loving stooges posting on his behalf... just another day in the Lebanon.
09 September 2013, 23:10
32
For the sake of Lebanon I hope the Assad regime will fall. Also for the sake of Lebanon I hope secular rebels will lea Syria to a better future (not the takfiris).
