NEWS FLASH

Assad Denies Responsibility For Syrian Security Forces’ Violence | Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claimed he bears no responsibility for the bloody crackdown against political opponents in an interview with ABC News’ Barbara Walters. “I am the president. I don’t own the country so they are not my forces;” and “There is a difference between having a policy to crack down between having some mistakes committed by some officials. There is a big difference,” said Assad. State Department spokesperson Mark Toner characterized Assad’s comments as “ludicrous.”