CBS News says it almost gave up on Assad interview
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CBS News had essentially given up its pursuit of Syrian President Bashar Assad for an interview because he would not agree to go on "60 Minutes," until Charlie Rose suggested airing it on PBS.
CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager, who accompanied Rose to Damascus last weekend, said Assad and his team had rejected a "60 Minutes" request because they were worried about how it would be edited. CBS assured Assad the newsmagazine would be fair, but he opted for a longer airing on PBS on Monday night, even though it was edited slightly for length. (AP)
