Syria's al-Assad Defiant in the Face of Western Media

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad denies responsibility for the bloody crackdown on protesters in his country.  He passed the blame for the violence onto thugs and religious extremists. Protecting the public was his sole motivation according to an interview with ABC reporter Barbara Walters.

Syria has been wracked with violence for the past eight months. Countless reports of torture, mutilation and murder by government forces have been smuggled out of the country. There are even reports of shadowy “death squads” being blamed for mysterious deaths in the besieged city of Homs. Assad says he does not feel guilt as he is not responsible for any deaths.

The United Nations places the death toll at over 4,000 casualties.