Fox News Interviews Syrian President Assad

Defiant Assad Claims Government Did Not Use Chem Weapons, Vows To Abide By Agreement -- FOX News

Syrian President Bashar Assad, in an exclusive interview with Fox News, claimed he is fully committed to carrying out a plan to turn over and destroy his government's chemical weapons -- while continuing to deny responsibility for last month's deadly chemical weapons attack despite new evidence that officials say implicates the Assad regime.

Assad acknowledged that his government has chemical weapons. "It's not a secret anymore," he said, referencing his government's decision to join the international Chemical Weapons Convention.

Assad also said that the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack, in which more than 1,000 people reportedly died, was a violation of international law. "That's self-evident," he said. "This is despicable. It's a crime."

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More News On FOX News' Interview With Syrian President Assad

Assad's Dennis Kucinich Interview: Syrian President Says Destroying Chemical Weapons Will Take A Year, Cost $1 Billion -- Huffington Post
Syria: Bashar al-Assad vows to 'fully cooperate' with plan to destroy chemical weapons -- The Telegraph
Assad: Syria needs one year to destroy chemical weapons -- BBC
Assad on Syria's Chemical Weapons: 'It's Not a Secret Anymore' -- Atlantic Wire
Assad says will abide by chemical weapon agreement: Fox News -- Reuters
Assad denies Syrian government carried out Aug. 21 chemical attack, will forfeit weapons -- Washington Post/AP
Assad pledges to destroy chemical arms -- AFP
Syria’s Assad Pledges to Destroy Chemical Weapons -- RIA Novosti
Assad: We didn't bow to US threats -- AFP
Assad: Syria not in civil war, but attacked by Qaeda -- AFP
Assad Tells Kucinich 15,000 Soldiers Killed, 85% of Rebels Jihadists -- Inner City Press
Fox News Interviews Assad With Help Of U.S. Ex-Lawmaker Kucinich -- Reuters

My Comment: This was a tough interview for Assad. Dennis Kucinich and Greg Palkot did not pull back on any questions.

Update: It appears that some in the mainstream media are not happy that they were left out from this interview .... New York Times and Washington Post.

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Syrian President Assad Confirms That Syria Will Hand Over Chemical Weapons But Only If US Drops Strike Plans

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said U.S. threats did not influence the decision. (File photo: Al Riyadh newspaper)

Assad: Syria To Hand Over Chem Arms In 1 Month, Only If US Drops Strike Plans -- RT

Syria will start handing over information on its chemical weapons to international groups a month after it signs the Chemical Weapons Convention, President Bashar Assad has told a Russian TV channel.

Damascus has agreed to a Russia proposal to put its chemical weapons stockpiles under international control.

“Syria is handing over its chemical weapons under international supervision because of Russia,” Assad said in an interview with state-run news channel Rossiya-24. “The US threats did not influence the decision.”

Within days Damascus promises to submit to the United Nations all documents required for joining the chemical weapons ban treaty. A month after Syria signs the Chemical Weapons Convention it will start handing over information on chemical weapons to international organizations.

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More News On Syrian President Assad Confirming That Syria Will Hand Over Chemical Weapons But Only If US Drops Strike Plans

Assad says chemical handover not result of U.S. threat -- Al Arabiya
Syria’s Assad reportedly tells interviewer he will cede control of chemical weapons -- Washington Post
Syria crisis: Assad confirms chemical weapons plan -- BBC
Assad vows to hand over chemical weapons -- AFP
Assad ready to give up chemical weapons -- Al Jazeera
Assad: Syria will sign chemical arms treaty -- USA Today
Bashar al-Assad vows to hand over chemical weapons -- The Australian/AP
Assad Demands End to U.S. 'Threats' -- Wall Street Journal
Assad: Syria to fulfill chemical weapons initiative if U.S. ends threats -- Chicago Tribune

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Charlie Rose's Full Interview With Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (Broadcast September 9, 2013)

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PBS Press Release: Charlie Rose Interviews Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday, September 9 At 9 P.M. On PBS

Charlie Rose Interviews Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday, September 9 At 9 P.M. On PBS -- PBS

BS Exclusive Outlet to Show Interview in its Entirety in a Special Primetime Edition of CHARLIE ROSE

PBS NewsHour’s Gwen Ifill to Interview President Obama on Syria on
Monday, September 9

ARLINGTON, VA; September 8, 2013--PBS’ Charlie Rose will interview Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday, September 9, at 9 p.m. in a special presentation of CHARLIE ROSE. In this global television exclusive, Assad gives his only television interview since President Barack Obama asked Congress to approve the use of force against the Syrian regime for alleged use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people.

This marks Assad’s first interview with an American television outlet in nearly two years. The interview was conducted on Sunday, September 8, at the Presidential Palace in Damascus.

The PBS broadcast will be the only place to view the interview in its entirety.

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My Comment: I have always enjoyed watching Charlie Rose .... and while the details of his interview with Bashar al-Assad have already been leaked, I suspect that this is still going to be an interesting interview .... especially since it will be broadcast on the eve of President Obama preparing to make his case to the American people for a military strike against Syria.

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A Look At The Assads: The Family That Has Ruled Syria For Decades

Former Syrian President Hafez Assad and his wife Aniseh sit in front of their sons (left to right) Maher, Bashar, Bassel and Majd, and daughter Bushra. SANA via Reuters

Who Are The Assads? Inside The Family That Has Ruled Syria For Decades -- NBC

Meet the Assads, the family that has controlled Syria for decades — and is the source of enough palace intrigue that they’ve been compared to the Sopranos.

Bashar Assad, the 47-year-old president, went to school to be an eye doctor and was not thought to have political aspirations. But he became heir apparent after the early death of his brother, and now he runs a country of 21 million people that is in the crosshairs of the West.

Assad has fought an uprising for more than two years, and his forces are accused by the United States of using chemical weapons on hundreds of people last week in a suburb of the capital.

As the world waits for a potential Western strike on Assad, here’s a look at the family tree.

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Update: Syria's first lady draws Marie Antoinette comparisons -- NBC

My Comment: They remind me of the Gaddafis of Libya. Born in privilege .... they end up believing that they are entitled to it forever.

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