World Bulletin/News Desk

Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad blamed the Syrian opposition for the August 21 chemical attack in a Damascus suburb in which more than 1,000 civilians were killed.

Speaking to Venezuelan state television on Wednesday, Assad said all signs indicated that the regime was not behind the chemical attack, adding that Syrian state television published confessions from the members of the opposition accepting their responsibility for the attack.

Assad also said they discovered a chemical stockpile belonging to opposition forces which were brought from neighboring countries. He noted evidence on the issue that had been sent to the Russian government prior to the arrival of UN experts in Syria.

The UN report regarding the August 21 attack does not blame any party for the usage of the chemical gases as such indications were not within the UN team's mandate. Nevertheless, some experts claim findings, such as the launching of surface-to-surface rockets containing the sarin nerve agent, place blame on the Assad regime.

The Barack Obama administration were preparing to launch a military strike on the Syrian regime due to its use of chemical gas until the Russian proposal to place the Syrian chemical stockpile under international control deterred the attack. Still, Russia and the US remain in a disagreement over how to enforce the chemical proposal by the UN Security Council resolution.

Assad said the possibility of the US taking military action against his government still remained.

Meanwhile, Assad welcomed the recent rapprochement between the US and Iran, but cautioned that this did not mean Tehran trusted Washington. Assad stated that the US should no longer press Iran on the issue of nuclear arms.