Syria official pleads ignorance of deadly barrel bombs

The United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the Syrian military for dropping barrel bombs filled with metal shards on areas held by the opposition, which cause appalling civilian carnage.

CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer spoke with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad about the deadly weapons.

Elizabeth Palmer: Tell me, one thing that has the world aghast is the use of these barrel bombs - crude, primitive weapons and very inaccurate. Why is the military using them?

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Faisal Mekdad: Another question should be asked, the kind of weapons being used by the terrorist groups, by the armed groups, moderate or extremist?

Elizabeth Palmer: Are you making the argument that because they're being bad we can be worse?

Faisal Mekdad: No, no, no.

Elizabeth Palmer: So what is the answer? Why are they using barrel bombs? I'm just asking you a simple question about something that we know is happening.

Faisal Mekdad: I don't know what are these barrels I did not ask anybody about, but we are trying to defend ourselves and to defend our people.