Assad denies ordering crackdown

DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Syrian President Bashar Assad denied ordering a deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters, claiming most of the dead were his supporters and troops.

Assad also brushed off suggestions that he resign and mocked sanctions imposed against his country, ABC News reported Wednesday.

Confronted in Damascus with photos and stories about civilians being tortured and killed, Assad said, "To be frank … I don't believe you."

Jay Carney, a spokesman for U.S. President Barack Obama, said Wednesday Assad's remarks are "just not credible."

"The world has witnessed whats happened in Syria," the White House press secretary told reporters. "The United States and many, many other nations around the world who have come together to condemn the atrocious violence in Syria perpetrated by the Assad regime know exactly what's happening and who is responsible. And I don't think anybody who watched that interview would find Mr. Assad's answers credible."

The pro-democracy protests known as Arab Spring reached Syria in mid-March. A U.N. report last week said more than 4,000 people have been killed and the country is embroiled in an undeclared civil war.

Assad dismissed the report by asking, "Who said that the United Nations is a credible institution?"

Assad denied he ordered a crackdown, blaming the violence on criminals, extremists and terrorists sympathetic to al-Qaida he charged blended in with peaceful demonstrators.

He also told ABC News the victims of the violence weren't civilian protesters

"Most of the people that have been killed are supporters of the government, not the vice versa," he said.

Any brutal action was taken by individuals and they were dealt with, he said.

"We don't kill our people," Assad said. "No government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person."

Assad said he was introducing reforms and elections, but that the process can't be rushed.

"We never said we are democratic country. … We are moving forward in reforms, especially in the last nine months," he said. "It takes a long time; it takes a lot of maturity to be full-fledged democracy."

Sanctions didn't worry him either, because, "We've been under sanctions for the last 30, 35 years. It's not something new. … We're not isolated. You have people coming and going, you have trade, you have everything."

He told ABC News he did his best to protect Syrians.

"I cannot feel guilty when you do your best," Assad said. "You feel sorry for the lives that have been lost. But you don't feel guilty when you don't kill people. So it's not about guilty."