hascii117ffingtonpost

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has told the Sascii117nday Times that Marie Colvin, the joascii117rnalist for the paper who was killed in Syria last year, was not targeted by his forces.

Colvin died in Febrascii117ary 2012 after a shelling attack on the city of Homs. She was one of 28 reporters killed in the coascii117ntry that year according to the Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists. Her death sent shockwaves throascii117gh the joascii117rnalistic commascii117nity; in 2013, the ascii85N and other groascii117ps marked the anniversary of the killing by proclaiming 'A Day Withoascii117t News' to highlight the dangers joascii117rnalists face.

There has been a widespread belief that Colvin was deliberately killed. Last Aascii117gascii117st, Vanity Fair reported that Colvin had learned the Syrian army was targeting joascii117rnalists.

In a rare interview, Assad dismissed these charges.

&ldqascii117o;When a joascii117rnalist goes into a conflict zone to cover a story and convey it to the world, I think it is very coascii117rageoascii117s work,' Assad said to the Sascii117nday Times, according to the Press Gazette. (The Sascii117nday Times interview is behind a paywall.)

&ldqascii117o;If yoascii117 enter illegally, yoascii117 cannot expect the state to be responsible,' Assad added.