Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is either 'disconnected' from reality or 'crazy', a U.S. Department of State deputy spokesperson said when asked to comment on the Syrian leader's denial of violent crackdown on protestors.
In an interview with ABC on Wednesday al-Assad said: "We don't kill our people... no government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person."
"It either says that he's completely lost any power that he had within Syria, that he's simply a tool or that he's completely disconnected with reality," Toner told reporters. "It's either disconnection, disregard or, as he said, crazy. I don't know."
The United Nations said more than 4,000 people had been killed in Syria since anti-government protests broke out in the country in March, but Assad said the account was doubtful. According to the Syrian leader most of the people that have been killed are supporters of the government, including 1,100 soldiers and police.
Al-Assad blamed "armed criminal gangs," "religious extremists" and al Qaeda-orchestrated "terrorists" for the violence.
