Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad delivered an ominous warning, saying American bases in the Middle East could be targeted for attack if US forces strike Damascus.
President Obama is set to speak to the American people on Tuesday at 9 p.m., asking for the nation’s support for military action against Syria, in retaliation for chemical weapons attacks against its own citizens.
CBS anchor Charlie Rose asked Assad, point-blank, if American bases would come under attack if Obama launches air raids against his government.
“You should expect everything,” Assad said, in a portion of the interview aired on “CBS This Morning” on Monday.
“Not necessarily through the government. The government is not the only player in this region. You have different parties, you have different factions, you have different ideology. You have everything in this region now.”
Assad, playing to America’s war-fatigued citizens, belittled the evidence of a chemical attacks as presented by Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama.
The White House has accused Assad’s government of launching a chemical attack last month on a rebel stronghold that killed more than 1,400, including more than 400 children. Assad denied his government has ever used chemical weapons. He’s blamed rebels for using chemicals against his soldiers.
Asked if he believed Obama would gain support authorization for military action, Assad said he was braced for bombs falling on Damascus.
“According to the lie that we’ve been hearing for the last two weeks from high-ranking officials in this administration, we have to expect the worst,” Assad said.
Assad compared Kerry to Colin Powell and the Bush administration’s “big lie” about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
“It’s about evidence,” Assad said. “That reminds me about what Kerry said about the big lie that Colin Powell said in front of the world … about the WMD in Iran [sic] before going to war when he said, `This is our evidence.’ Actually he gave false evidence.”
The Syrian strongman said he’s read polls that show how American citizens are tired of overseas military intervention, and might be hesitant in giving President Obama their blessing for an attack on Syria.
“The polls show that the majority now don’t want a war — anywhere, not only against Syria,” Assad said.
“The Congress is going to vote about this in a few days and I think the Congress is elected by the people and to represent the people and to vote for their interest.
“The first question they should ask themselves: What do wars give America? Nothing. No political gain, no economic gain, no good reputation. The United States … is at all-time low [in credibility] This war is against the interest of the United States.”
Despite intelligence reports that Syria is sitting on stockpile of chemical weapons, Assad said he’s against that globally detested form of warfare.
“We are against any weapons of mass destruction, whether chemical or nuclear,” he said. “Technically they’re not the same. But morally it’s the same. At the end, killing is killing.”