Syrian minister: US strike 'would benefit al-Qaeda'

Any US military action against Syria would amount to "support for al-Qaeda and its affiliates," Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad told the BBC.

He said that US President Barack Obama's surprise decision to seek congressional approval for strikes showed that he had not thought through all the "consequences". As for a vote in Congress, Muqdad said it would base its decision on whether attacking Syria was in the interests of Israel. (Roi Kais)