Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned Washington on Monday to brace for retaliation if US 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.
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."
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."
US President Barack 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.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who testified before a the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week seeking its support for military action, said Monday that Assad could avert an attack by giving up his chemical weapons.
But Kerry said he had no expectation Assad would do this.
AFP
Mon Sep 09 2013
![Assad warns US will 'pay the price' if it attacks Syria Assad warns US will 'pay the price' if it attacks Syria](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-04/51367162840_295x200.jpg)
![Ladang kelapa sawit dipercayai lokasi Nur Farah Kartini dibunuh - Polis Ladang kelapa sawit dipercayai lokasi Nur Farah Kartini dibunuh - Polis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721210176_TBFARAHMAYAT.jpg)
Ladang kelapa sawit dipercayai lokasi Nur Farah Kartini dibunuh - Polis
Polis percaya kawasan ladang kelapa sawit di Kampung Sri Kledang di sini adalah lokasi Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah, dipercayai dibunuh.
Pantau Agenda Reformasi: Bola sepak Malaysia selepas Kim Pan Gon
Niaga AWANI: BSKL dijangka melepasi 1,700 mata pada akhir 2024
Bursa Malaysia dijangka mencatatkan aliran meningkat dengan indeks utama FBM KLCI dijangka melepasi paras 1,700 mata menjelang akhir tahun ini.
Niaga AWANI: Harga emas rekod paras tertinggi dalam sejarah
Harga emas dilaporkan naik ke paras tertinggi dalam sejarah hari ini. Ia berikutan kenyataan terbaharu daripada pegawai Rizab Persekutuan (FED) Amerika Syarikat yang meningkatkan jangkaan bahawa akan berlaku penurunan kadar faedah pada September.
Suspek masih belum digantung tugas
Polis Perak sedang menunggu hasil siasatan terhadap suspek sebelum tindakan menggantung tugas sebagai anggota polis.
Dasar digital perlu pastikan jurang antara miskin dan kaya tidak terus melebar
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, beliau bukan mahu bersikap negatif terhadap golongan elit, namun menegaskan bahwa sekiranya tidak dikawal, kesenjangan di antara kaya dan miskin akan terus melebar.
Ahli Dewan Rakyat wajib jalani pemeriksaan kesihatan
Semua Ahli Dewan Rakyat diwajibkan untuk menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan selewat-lewatnya pada 11 November depan.
![Jenazah Nur Farah Kartini dijangka dituntut selepas DNA ibu diambil - Abang Jenazah Nur Farah Kartini dijangka dituntut selepas DNA ibu diambil - Abang](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721206884_NurFarahKartini.jpg)
Jenazah Nur Farah Kartini dijangka dituntut selepas DNA ibu diambil - Abang
Urusan tuntutan jenazah mangsa bunuh Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah dijangka hanya dapat dilakukan selepas pengambilan sampel DNA ibunya di Hospital Kuala Kubu Bharu hari ini.
![[KOLUMNIS] Konotasi 'Belanda' dalam pantun dan peribahasa Melayu [KOLUMNIS] Konotasi 'Belanda' dalam pantun dan peribahasa Melayu](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721207677_belanda.jpg)
[KOLUMNIS] Konotasi 'Belanda' dalam pantun dan peribahasa Melayu
Pantun merupakan akal budi orang Melayu, iaitu penciptaan bait-bait diksi yang indah yang mempunyai unsur alam dan persekitaran masyarakat.
![Suspek kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini belum ditahan tugas - Polis Perak Suspek kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini belum ditahan tugas - Polis Perak](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721098519_suspekbunuhNurFar.jpg)
Suspek kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini belum ditahan tugas - Polis Perak
Polis Perak sedang menunggu hasil siasatan terhadap suspek yang juga anggota di kontinjen negeri itu sebelum tindakan jabatan diambil berhubung kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah.