NEW YORK (AA) - Syrian President Bashar Assad warned Sunday that if US President Barack Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the US and its allies should "expect every action" in retaliation. "You should expect everything. Not necessarily from the government," Assad told "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose in his first television interview since Obama sought congressional approval for military action. In a clear reference to his allies in Iran and the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, Assad warned that his government is "not the only player in this region." Assad noted that a military strike on Syria would support groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Al-Nusra Front. "You have different parties, you have different factions, you have different ideology. You have everything in this region now," said Assad, who has been accused by Turkey, the US and many other countries of killing nearly 1,400 of his own people in an August 21 chemical weapons attack on Damascus suburbs. Asked by Rose whether retaliation for US strikes could include the use of chemical weapons, Assad, whose government has never confirmed that it has chemical weapons, said it would depend on "if the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it" before adding, "It could happen, I don't know. I am not fortune teller." Assad warned that if Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the US and its allies should "expect every action" in retaliation. Rose said Sunday on "CBS Evening News" that the Syrian dictator was "remarkably calm" during the interview as he addressed the claims that he had gassed his own people. Rose's full interview with Assad will air Monday night on "The Charlie Rose Show" on PBS. englishnews@aa.com.tr
