Kerry was leading a delegation to Syria to discuss peace in the region at the time.

According to French news agency AFP, Assad told Kerry during that visit that America needed a “proper understanding” of issues Syria faces.

Kerry praised Assad later in 2011 as being a "very generous" man. "Well, I personally believe that -- I mean, this is my belief, okay? But President Assad has been very generous with me in terms of the discussions we have had. And when I last went to -- the last several trips to Syria -- I asked President Assad to do certain things to build the relationship with the United States and sort of show the good faith that would help us to move the process forward," said Kerry at a think tank.

Now Kerry has turned to a scary face among Syrians who fear a US strike at any moment because the Obama administration says it concluded Syrian army was responsible for a chemical attack that they say killed hundreds of civilians.

Syria has already provided UN with documents on three chemical attacks by foreign-backed militants near Damascus, while fresh interviews by residents who were close to the site of the alleged chemical attack showed the Saudi-backed armed groups carried out the deadly raid.

NTJ/SHI