Syria: Assad distances himself from army violence - Wednesday 7 December

President Bashar al-Assad has attempted to distance himself from the army, in an interview with ABC News. He said of the army: "I don't own them. I'm president. I don't own the country, so they're not my forces." He denied there was any order to kill protesters, saying: "no government in the world kills its people". - Syria: Assad distances himself from army violence - Wednesday 7 December -- Bashar al-Assad insists killings and torture in Syria are beyond his control -- Syria's Assad: I would be crazy to kill my own people