Bashar al-Assad admits 'making mistakes' in Syrian civil war

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly admitted that he has made mistakes, saying that no side in his country's civil war is entirely free of blame.

According to an interview, Assad acknowledged 'personal mistakes by individuals', although it was not elaborated on what those mistakes might have been.

The Fox News reports that Assad admitted that even a president like him could make mistakes, adding that there were 'grey tones' as far as the question of blame was concerned.

Declaring a willingness to call elections before his term ends in August, Assad, whose authoritarian rule prompted a bloody civil war with over 100,000 dead, however, said that he has not yet decided whether to run for the presidency again, adding that he would not stand in the elections if he does not have the backing of his people behind him.

Assad also said that he does not believe in a negotiated peace with the rebels trying to oust him, and also denied his regime's involvement in the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people.