Bashar al-Assad says Syrian rebels may attack weapons inspectors September 23, 2013 -- Updated 0731 GMT (1531 HKT) Some countries may ask rebels to attack international inspectors, al-Assad says "We cannot know until the inspectors arrive in Syria," he tells China's CCTV The U.S.-Russian plan for Syria's chemical disarmament calls for inspections soon Al-Assad says it is "quite natural" for Syria to have "large quantities" of chemical arms (CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has suggested that some outside governments may urge rebels to attack international inspectors sent into war-fractured country to secure its arsenal of chemical weapons. "There might be countries that might ask the terrorists to attack the inspectors to prevent them from doing their job, and blame the Syrian government," he said in an interview aired Sunday by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. "At this point, this remains just a possibility and we cannot know until the inspectors arrive in Syria," al-Assad said. Syria submitted an initial declaration to the world's chemical weapons watchdog last week outlining its inventory of the munitions. The move was part of a deal forged earlier this month by the United States and Russia to begin Syria's chemical disarmament. The plan then calls for international inspectors in position to secure that arsenal no later than November. Veteran weapons inspectors have said securing and destroying the Syrian stockpile could take huge numbers of people, including hundreds of inspectors and thousands of troops to provide security. Al-Assad noted that the plan requires his government to ensure the safety of the inspectors. He said the weapons stockpile is secure, despite the civil war raging in Syria. "Chemical weapons are safely stored to prevent terrorists or groups from other countries from taking them over," al-Assad told CCTV. Large quantities Asked if it was true that there are more than 1,000 tons of chemical weapons in Syria, he said, "Syria has been producing these weapons for decades, and it is quite natural that there are large quantities of them. "We are in a state of war, and we have territories that have been occupied for over 40 years," he continued. But at any event, the Syrian army was geared toward fighting with conventional weapons. The United States and other Western nations blame al-Assad's regime for an August 21 chemical weapons attack outside Damascus that U.S. officials estimate killed 1,400 people. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he aand Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hammered out the deal in Geneva, and Syria agreed to it. CNN's Ali Younes and Brian Walker contributed to this report. Now comes the real test. Get up to speed on the latest developments. September 22, 2013 -- Updated 1931 GMT (0331 HKT) Fawaz Gerges speaks with Fredricka Whitfield about the General Assembly meeting this week to talk about Syria and Iran. September 20, 2013 -- Updated 1027 GMT (1827 HKT) A panel of experts discusses whether the Bosnian conflict is really a model for the current crisis in Syria. Despite the dangers many Arab cartoonists face, some of the region's more contentious countries are having a political satire renaissance. September 16, 2013 -- Updated 0158 GMT (0958 HKT) Increasing numbers of Syrian children are suffering from malnutrition as vital supplies are cut off, as CNN's Arwa Damon reports. September 15, 2013 -- Updated 2219 GMT (0619 HKT) CNN's Ivan Watson reports on how al Qaeda-linked militants from outside have joined rebel fighters in Syria. September 16, 2013 -- Updated 1842 GMT (0242 HKT) More than 2 million Syrians have fled their country, according to the United Nations refugee agency.