WHY WOULD WE KILL OUR OWN PEOPLE? ASKS SYRIAN LEADER BASHAR AL-ASSAD TO CHARLIE ROSE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT CIVILIAN DEATHS FROM BARREL BOMBS AND GAS - "60 MINUTES"

In a Rare Interview, Syria's President Says Reports of Such Atrocities are Propaganda

The president of Syria says he has no reason to kill his own people, rather, he says, he is in a war to win their hearts and minds. That was Bashar al-Assad's response to Charlie Rose's question in which he cites a report stating that 90 percent of the civilian casualties in the bloody civil war are caused by the Syrian Army. The rare interview with Assad will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, March 29 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

A portion of the 60 MINUTES interview appeared on CBS THIS MORNING. A transcript follows; please credit 60 MINUTES. Watch the excerpt.

CHARLIE ROSE: 90% of the civilian casualties, 90% come from the Syrian army.

PRESIDENT ASSAD: How did you get that result?

CHARLIE ROSE: That was a report that was issued in the last six months.

PRESIDENT ASSAD: Okay. As I said earlier, the war, it's not about - it's not traditional war. It's not about capturing land and gaining land. It's about winning the hearts and minds of the Syrian. We cannot win the heart and minds of the Syrians while we are killing Syrians. We cannot sustain four years in that position as a government. And me as president, while the rest of the world, most of the world, the great powers, the regional power, are against me and my people are against me. That's impossible. I mean this logic has no legs to stand on. So this is not realistic and this is against our interests as government is to kill the people. What do we get? What the benefit of killing the people?

CHARLIE ROSE: Well, the argument is you - there are weapons of war that have been used that most people look down on with great - one is chlorine gas. They believe that has been used here. They said there is evidence of that and they would like to have the right to inspect to see where it's coming from. As you know, barrel bombs have been used. And they come from helicopters. And the only people who have helicopters is the Syrian army. And so those two acts of war, which society looks down on as barbaric acts.

PRESIDENT ASSAD: Let me fully answer this. It's very important. This is part of the malicious propaganda against Syria. First of all, the chlorine gas is not military gas. You can buy it anywhere.

CHARLIE ROSE: But it can be weaponized.

PRESIDENT ASSAD: No, because it's not very effective - it's not used as military gas. That's very self-evident. Traditional arms is more important than chlorine. And if it was very effective, the terrorists would have used it on a larger scale. Because it's not effective it's not used very (unintelligible phrase).

CHARLIE ROSE: Then why not let somebody come in and inspect it and see whether it's been used or not?

PRESIDENT ASSAD: Well, we would -

CHARLIE ROSE: You'd be happy for that?

PRESIDENT ASSAD: Of course. We always ask a delegation, impartial delegation to come and investigate. But I mean, logically and realistically it cannot be used as military. This is part of this propaganda because, as you know, in the media, when it bleeds, it leads. And they always look for something that bleeds, which is the chlorine gas and the barrel bombs.