Syria Warns America 'To Expect Everything'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has warned America "to expect everything" if it attacks in retaliation for his alleged use of chemical weapons that killed more than 1,400 civilians in Damascus.

Speaking in an interview to US television network CBS, Mr Assad denied he was behind the chemical atrocity on August 21 and said the US had provided "not a single shred of evidence" that his forces were involved.

When pressed by CBS correspondent Charlie Rose about what would happen if the US attacked Syria, he replied "every action".

Asked if that could include the use of more chemical weapons, he said: "That depends. If the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it, it could happen. I don't know. I'm not a fortune teller to tell you what's going to happen..."

Meanwhile, America has urged President Assad to hand over his chemical weapons, saying it was the only way to stop a military strike against his forces.

US Secretary of State John Kerry made the demand after flying into London for talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the latest stage of his diplomatic tour to garner support for attacking Mr Assad's regime.

President Assad said war would not bring the US economic or political gain

He told a news conference at the Foreign Office that the US "was not going to war" with troops on the ground, but was instead planning a "very limited, very targeted, very short-term" strike.

But, conversely, he added: "Let me be clear, the United States, President Obama, myself, others, are in full agreement that the end of the conflict in Syria requires a political solution. There is no military solution, we have no illusions about that."

He again set out the evidence America claims it has that the Syrian government was behind the gas attack, saying the "risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting".

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall, said that by telling President Assad he could avoid American action by turning over every chemical weapon he has in the next week, Mr Kerry was giving him an option.

"Damascus could now engage in linguistic gymnastics, admit it has small quantities of chemicals, and suggest the United Nations comes to secure them as quickly as possible," Marshall said.

A Free Syrian Army fighter in Raqqa province, eastern Syria

"Given that 'quickly' and the 'UN' do not usually belong in the same sentence, that could drag things out for weeks. This is an unlikely scenario, but it is puzzling as to why Mr Kerry even bothered to formulate what can be taken as an ultimatum."

Mr Kerry also stressed the importance of the "special relationship" between the US and Britain and said the two countries were "enormously tied together".

Mr Hague said the US has Britain's "full diplomatic support" and supported "mustering a strong international response" to Mr Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons.

It came as Mr Assad thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support during the G20 summit last week.

This morning, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Western leaders that any military strikes would cause an "outburst of terrorism" in the region and spark a new wave of refugees.

"The possibility for a political solution remains," he said after talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Muallem, saying Damascus was still "ready for peace talks".

Congress will vote on whether to launch military action in Syria

US politicians are set to discuss backing for military action against Syria as President Barack Obama prepares to make a series of TV appearances to push his case.

Congress will start debating the issue today and are expected to vote later this week on whether to authorise force against the Syrian regime.

While the White House believes an endorsement from the Senate could be within reach, Mr Obama faces a wall of opposition from both Republicans and from many of his Democratic allies in the House of Representatives.

The White House has refused to state whether Mr Obama, elected in 2008 promising to end foreign wars, would order a strike even if Congress votes "no".

In a determined final effort for military backing, Mr Obama is due to appear on six US TV networks today, ahead of delivering a live address to the nation on Tuesday.

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