France says regrets Obama failed to attack Syria
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also said the Syrian regime is believed to have used chemical weapons including chlorine in 14 attacks since late 2013
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius voiced Tuesday France’s regrets that President Barack Obama had failed to carry out threatened U.S. strikes on the Syrian regime as punishment for a Sarin gas attack near Damascus in August in which hundreds died.
Obama had threatened U.S. strikes on Syrian regime facilities if President Bashar al-Assad crossed a red line by using toxic weapons on his own people. But in the end the US leader walked away from carrying out such a targeted attack.
"We regret it because we think it would have changed lots of things ... but what is done is done, and we're not going to rewrite history," Fabius, who is on an official visit to Washington, told a press conference.
He also said the Syrian regime is believed to have used chemical weapons including chlorine in 14 attacks since late 2013.
"We have credible witnesses for the use, at least 14 uses... of chemical agents since October 2013," he said.
While Assad has handed over some 92 percent of his chemical weapons stockpile for destruction, "we have lots of elements which lead us to believe that a certain number of these chemical weapons have been hidden," Fabius said.
The 14 reported incidents showed that "in recent weeks, new, smaller quantities of chemical arms have been used, mainly chlorine," he said, adding that France was currently examining the evidence.
(AFP)
-
Birth defects reported after chemical attacks in Syria
A Syria-based NGO is currently investigating the cases to identify the cause of the deformities News -
Concern at U.N. meeting on Syria’s chemical arms
Western diplomats voice concerns about ambiguities in Syria's original declaration of its poison gas arsenal Middle East -
Syria still has ‘8 percent of its chemical arms’
The OPCW announced Syria still had 8 percent of its chemical arms as the deadline expired for the arsenal to be handed over Middle East -
Syria can still produce chemical arms, West warns
Allegations based on intelligence from Britain, France and the U.S. could strengthen chlorine gas attack claims Middle East -
2000GMT: Syria removes 80 percent of chemical weapons
News Bulletins