The president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, has said he will follow a plan to destroy his country's chemical weapons. He told reporters from Fox News that it might take one year to do this. Mr Assad said: "I think it is a very complicated operation technically, and it needs a lot of money. Some estimates say about $1 billion." He added: "It is very bad for the environment. If the American government is ready to pay this money and take the responsibility of bringing toxic materials to the United States, why don't they do it?" America wants Syria to agree to a United Nations resolution that includes American military action if Syria does not keep its promise. However, Russia said no to this.

President Assad again told the world that rebels carried out a chemical weapons attack in Damascus last month. America says it has information that shows Syria's army used the sarin gas, not the rebels. Mr Assad said America was wrong. Russia says there is not enough proof that Syria's army was responsible. Russia's foreign minister said he has evidence that showed the rebels were part of the sarin attack. Mr Assad explained how the rebels could have used the gas. He said: "Sarin gas is called kitchen gas. You know why? Because anybody can make sarin in his house. Any rebel can make sarin." He also said Syria was in "a new kind of war" because fighters from more than 80 countries had joined the rebels.