Assad denies role in crackdown

BEIRUT - Syria's president denied he ordered the deadly crackdown on a nearly 9-month-old uprising in his country, claiming he is not in charge of the troops behind the assault.

Speaking to ABC's Barbara Walters in a rare interview that aired on Wednesday, President Bashar al-Assad maintained he did not give any commands "to kill or be brutal".

"They're not my forces," Assad responded when asked if Syrian troops had cracked down too hard on protesters. "They are military forces (who) belong to the government. I don't own them. I'm president. I don't own the country."