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Syria's Assad says US has no proof of chemical weapons use Bashar al-Assad: US will pay price for Syria strike
(about 4 hours later)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told a US broadcaster there is "no evidence" that his government has used chemical weapons. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned that the US would "pay the price" for any strike against Syria.
In the interview with PBS, to be aired on Monday, he also suggested his allies would retaliate if the West attacked. He told US broadcaster PBS that strikes would increase instability and lead to the spread of terrorism in the region.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has been lobbying hard for military action against Mr Assad during talks with EU and Arab foreign ministers in Europe. He said there was "no evidence" that government forces had used chemical weapons against their own people.
Congress is due to debate whether to authorise intervention in Syria. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry has once again warned that taking no action against Mr Assad's regime is riskier than launching strikes.
Lawmakers will return from their summer recess on Monday to start discussing President Barack Obama's resolution to launch a "limited, narrow" strike. Mr Kerry has been lobbying hard for military action against during talks with EU and Arab foreign ministers in Europe.
The US Congress is due to debate whether to authorise intervention in Syria.
Politicians will return from their summer recess on Monday to start discussing President Barack Obama's resolution to launch a "limited, narrow" strike.
A Senate vote on the issue is expected as early as Wednesday, although the timetable for Mr Obama's request is less certain in the House, where the measure faces an even rockier time.A Senate vote on the issue is expected as early as Wednesday, although the timetable for Mr Obama's request is less certain in the House, where the measure faces an even rockier time.
The US accuses Mr Assad's forces of killing 1,429 people in a sarin gas attack on 21 August on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus. 'Expect everything'
The US accuses Mr Assad's forces of killing 1,429 people in a poison-gas attack on 21 August on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.
Mr Assad's government blames the attack on rebels fighting to overthrow him in the country's two-and-a-half-year civil war, which has claimed some 100,000 lives, according to UN estimates.Mr Assad's government blames the attack on rebels fighting to overthrow him in the country's two-and-a-half-year civil war, which has claimed some 100,000 lives, according to UN estimates.
'Common-sense test' In his interview with PBS, the Syrian president said the Middle East was "on the brink of explosion".
In his interview with PBS, the Syrian president said it was up to the US to prove that his forces were behind the Damascus attack. "You're going to pay the price if you're not wise with dealing with terrorists. There are going to be repercussions," he said.
"There has been no evidence that I used chemical weapons against my own people," he told the network. "You should expect everything. The government is not the only player in this region. You have different parties, different factions, different ideologies. You have everything in this decision now."
Mr Assad would neither confirm nor deny that his government kept chemical weapons, but said that if they existed, they were "in centralised control". Mr Assad did not explain whether his comment was a threat that Syrian-backed groups such as Hezbollah would launch retaliation, or a warning that strikes would bolster al-Qaeda-linked groups.
Mr Assad also reportedly "suggested that there would be, among people that are aligned with him, some kind of retaliation if a strike was made", PBS said. Mr Assad calls the rebels "terrorists" and has often insisted that they are linked to al-Qaeda.
Syria's allies include China and Russia, as well as Iran and the militant Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. In the PBS interview, he once again denied using chemical weapons.
On a visit to Moscow, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said the US was using the issue of chemical weapons as a "pretext" to launch a war. The White House immediately dismissed his statement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no alternative to a peaceful solution to the crisis - and Moscow was convinced it was possible. "It doesn't surprise us that someone who would kill thousands of his own people, including hundreds of children with poison gas, would also lie about it," said spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.
"We appeal to our American colleagues to concentrate on this [the Geneva conference] and not for preparing for a war scenario". And UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the world must not "fall into the trap" of giving Mr Assad any credibility.
Speaking in London shortly afterwards, US Secretary of State John Kerry agreed that the end of the conflict required a political solution but he warned that the "risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting". 'Heavy lift'
"If one party believes that he can rub out countless numbers of his own citizens with impunity using chemical weapons... he will never come to a negotiating table." The White House has admitted it has no "irrefutable" evidence of Mr Assad's involvement in the August attack.
Responding to the latest remarks by President Assad, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague cautioned against believing what he said. But a spokesman said on Sunday a "strong common-sense test irrespective of the intelligence" suggested his government was responsible.
"We mustn't fall into the trap of attaching too much credibility to the words of a leader - President Assad - who has presided over so many war crimes and crimes against humanity," Mr Hague said. Mr Obama has cleared his schedule this week to focus all his attention on building support for the Syrian intervention.
The White House has admitted it has no "irrefutable" evidence of Mr Assad's involvement in the August attack, but said a "strong common-sense test irrespective of the intelligence" suggested his government was responsible. He has acknowledged he faces a "heavy lift" to win congressional backing.
"We've seen the video proof of the outcome of those attacks," White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough said on Sunday. While the government believes it has backing in the Senate, the passage of the Syria resolution in the Republican-led House of Representatives is likely to be much harder.
"Now do we have a picture or do we have irrefutable beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence? This is not a court of law and intelligence does not work that way." A poll carried out by ABC and the BBC on Friday suggested more than 230 of the 433 representatives were either opposed or likely to oppose strikes.
The British parliament has already voted against the UK joining any US-led military intervention in Syria. Just 44 representatives said they would support or were likely to support action, and a large proportion are still undecided on the issue.
No easy task
Mr Obama cleared his schedule this week to focus all his attention on building support for the Syrian intervention.
He will also seek public support in a White House address on Tuesday. He has acknowledged he faces a "heavy lift" to win congressional backing.
White House officials have been giving daily classified briefings to congressional members.
While the White House believes an endorsement from the Senate could be within reach, the passage of the Syria resolution in the Republican-led House is likely to be even harder.
A Washington Post survey said 224 of the current 433 members of the House were either "no" or "leaning no" on military action as of Friday, while 184 were undecided and just 25 were backing a strike.
The survey suggested that 27 of the 100 senators were "no" or "leaning no", while 50 were undecided and 23 supportive of military action.
Many US politicians remain concerned that military action could draw the nation into a prolonged war and spark broader hostilities in the region.Many US politicians remain concerned that military action could draw the nation into a prolonged war and spark broader hostilities in the region.
Outside the US, France supports military intervention but it wants to wait for a report by UN weapons experts before taking action.Outside the US, France supports military intervention but it wants to wait for a report by UN weapons experts before taking action.
Russia and China, which have refused to agree to a UN Security Council resolution against Syria, insist any military action without the UN would be illegal.Russia and China, which have refused to agree to a UN Security Council resolution against Syria, insist any military action without the UN would be illegal.
As international wrangling continues, Islamist militants from the Nusra Front and other rebels appear to have taken control of most of Maaloula, an ancient Christian town about 55km (34 miles) north of Damascus.
Heavy fighting is said to be continuing between the rebels and government troops, which have surrounded the village.
There are fears for Maaloula's heritage, with reports that militant Islamist rebels have attacked churches, the BBC's Jim Muir, in neighbouring Lebanon, reports.
But opposition leaders have blamed pro-regime militias for the alleged destruction, accusing the government of terrorising minorities while trying to pose as their protectors, our correspondent says.