Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
denounced the United States, France and Britain for submitting a draft
resolution to the UN Security Council to place Syrian chemical weapons under
international control, saying they were fighting an "imaginary
enemy".
Assad, who was interviewed by
China's state television CCTV in Damascus, the Syrian capital, said he was not
concerned about the draft resolution and that China and Russia would
"ensure any excuse for military action against Syria will not stand."
An article posted on the CCTV
website on Monday quoted Assad as saying, "I am not concerned. Since its
independence,
Syria has been committed to all the treaties it has signed. We
will honor everything that we have agreed to do.
Russia and the United States
brokered the deal to put Assad's chemical arms stockpiles under international
control to avert possible U.S. military strikes that Washington said would
punish Assad for a poison gas attack last month.
Washington has blamed Assad's
forces for the attack, which it said killed more than 1,400 people. Assad
blamed rebels battling to overthrow him, saying it made no sense for his forces
to use chemical weapons when they were gaining the upper hand and while U.N.
chemical inspectors were staying in central Damascus.
Under the U.S.-Russian deal,
Assad must account for his chemical weapons stockpiles within a week and see
them destroyed by the middle of next year.
Russia, a key ally of Assad, is
unhappy with the draft's references to possible punitive measures against Syria
under Article 7 of the UN charter, which talks about UN authorization for
sanctions and military force.
In the interview, Assad said
gunmen could hinder the access of chemical weapons inspectors to sites where
the weapons were stored and made.
He added, "We know that
these terrorists are obeying the orders of other countries and these countries
do drive these terrorists to commit acts that could get the Syrian government
blamed for hindering this agreement."
Asked whether Syria had lots of
chemical weapons, Assad said: "Syria has been manufacturing chemical weapons
for decades so it's normal for there to be large quantities in the country.
"We are a nation at war,
we've got territories that have been occupied for more than 40 years, but in
any case, the Syrian army is trained to fight using conventional weapons."
He said the chemical weapons were
stored "under special conditions to prevent any terrorist for other
destructive forces from tampering with them, that is, destructive forces that
could come from other countries."
"So there is nothing to worry
about. The chemical weapons in Syria are in a safe place that is secure and
under the control of the Syrian army."
REUTERS