Syria has appealed to the international community to help it find an "honourable exit" to the crisis it is facing, notably by stopping the flow of weapons into the country.

"We are appealing to the outside world and our brothers in the Arab world to help Syria (prevent the) channelling (of) weapons" into the country, foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi told a news conference in Damascus, speaking in English.

"We want the others, all the others, to support the Syrian evolution, not the armed confrontation in Syria," he said. "If we all work together we can find an honourable exit to the crisis."

Makdisi convened the news conference to denounce US news network ABC, which this week broadcast an interview with President Bashar al-Assad. "The network distorted what the president said," Makdisi said. "It deliberately deformed the president's words... by airing videos (of violence) to incite" action against Syria, the spokesman said.

Makdisi stressed that Assad is "appalled and saddened" by the deadly violence that has shaken Syria for nearly nine months. "The president has promised accountability," he added.

Makdisi also stressed that Assad's regime gave "no clear instructions to use live ammunition" against pro-democracy protesters who have held almost daily protests since mid-March.

Assad denied in the interview with ABC that he ordered the killing of protesters in Syria and said "only a crazy person" would target his own people, AFP reported.