Assad to U.S.: 'Expect everything'
Syrian President Bashar Assad says that the U.S. and its allies should "expect everything" in retaliation if a military air strike is launched.
In excerpts that aired Monday on CBS's "This Morning" from an interview with Charlie Rose, Assad said, "You should expect everything. Not necessarily from the government."
Rose's interview with Assad is the first since Obama announced he will seek Congressional approval to launch an air strike in Syria due to alleged use of chemical weapons on Aug. 21.
Asked whether Syria could use chemical weapons against the U.S. in response to intervention, Assad said, "I am not fortune teller."
"If the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it. It could happen, I don't know," Assad said.
(Also on POLITICO: Charlie Rose interviews Assad)
However, when asked whether he thought chemical weapons were an appropriate tool of war, Assad said that Syria is against "any WMD."
"We are against any WMD, any weapons of mass destruction whether chemical or nuclear," Assad said.
"It's not only me as a state, as a government. In 2001, we proposed to the United Nations- purported to- empty or to get rid of every WMD in the Middle East and the United States stood against that proposal ... So this is our conviction and policy."
Assad said Syria is yet to join the agreement against chemical weapons because "Israel has WMD and it has to sign. And Israel occupying our land. So that's why we talked about Middle East, not Syria, not Israel. It should be comprehensive."
He also said that while chemical and nuclear warfare are "technically" different, they are the same "morally" and added, "But at the end, killing is killing."
As the debate for intervention grows nationally, Assad himself also noted the challenge Obama faces obtaining public and congressional approval.
"I think the most important part of this now is - let's say the American people. But the polls show that - the majority now don't want a war anywhere, not only against Syria. But the Congress is going to vote about this in a few days. And I think the Congress is elected by the people and represent the people and work for their interests."
Assad added that war will give Obama, "No political gain, no economic gain, no good reputation. United States is at all-time, credibility is at all-time low. So this war is against the interests of the United States," he said.
(PHOTOS: International response to Syria)
When pushed about whether a chemical attack occurred in the region on Aug. 21, as well as mounting video evidence, Assad emphasized it is an "alleged attack."
"Our soldiers in another area were attacked chemically. Our soldiers. They went to the hospital- as casualties because of chemical weapons. But in the area where they said the government used chemical weapons, we only had video and we only have pictures and allegations. We're not there," Assad said.
"Our forces- our police, our institutions don't exist. 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. We are the government that deal with reality-"
Assad also cited that Russia concluded separately the Syrian government was not involved in a chemical attack.
(WATCH: Timeline of Syria crisis response)
"The United- sorry, the Russians have completely opposite evidence that the missiles were thrown from area where the rebels controlled," Assad said, who also hit Sec. of State John Kerry for not producing conclusive evidence of the use of chemical weapons, and presenting "false evidence" prior to the Iraq War.
"In this case, Kerry didn't even present any evidence. He talk, 'We have evidence.' And he didn't present anything, not yet. Nothing so far," Assad said.
Rose's interview with Assad will air in its entirety on Monday on PBS's "The Charlie Rose Show."
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