Bashar al-Assad says he's "open" to dialogue with U.S.
CBS News' Charlie Rose has interviewed embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for an upcoming "60 Minutes" report. Assad's regime just entered its fifth year of a brutal civil war that has resulted in the deaths of more than 210,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In an excerpt of the interview for the "CBS Evening News," Assad responded to recent comments made by Secretary of State John Kerry regarding a potential willingness by the U.S. to negotiate with the the Syrian leader.
"I would say what we have in Syria so far is only a statement, nothing concrete yet, no facts, no new reality regarding the political approach of the United States toward our situation, our problem, our conflict in Syria," said Assad. "But as principal, in Syria we could say that every dialogue is a positive thing, and we are going to be open to any dialogue with anyone, including the United States, regarding anything based on mutual respect."
Assad said there is currently no direct communication between his government and America's. When Rose asked Assad if he'd like for communication to begin he answered: "Any dialogue is positive, as I said, in principal, of course, without pressuring the sovereignty of Syria."
You can watch more of Charlie Rose's interview Friday on "CBS This Morning" at 7:00 AM ET and this Sunday on "60 Minutes." Check your local listings.