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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday that France will face negative repercussions if Paris and its allies launch a military intervention against his country.
"Anybody who contributes to the financial and military reinforcement of terrorists is the enemy of the Syrian people. The French are not our enemy... but if the policies of the French state are hostile to the Syrian people, the state will be their enemy," Assad said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro.
"There will be repercussions, negative ones obviously, on French interests," the Syrian president said, adding that a Western-led strike on Damascus would "set off a powder keg" and the condition would "lose control once exploded."
"Chaos and extremism would ensue and there is a risk of regional war," he warned.
According to media reports, a French intelligence report presented to lawmakers on Monday showed forces loyal to Assad were behind the alleged chemical attack in Damascus on Aug. 21.
But the Syrian president denied the allegations.
He "challenged the United States and France to come up with a single piece of proof."
"Obama and Hollande have been incapable of doing so," he added.
While the British parliament vetoed last week any military action against Syria and U.S. President Barack Obama decided to consult the Congress, French President Francois Hollande reaffirmed his determination to punish the perpetrators and will discuss the Syrian issue during an emergency parliament meeting on Wednesday.
