Brussels, 22/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 22 August, France's Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius threatened Syria with a “tough response” if the chemical weapons “massacre” the previous day in a suburb of Damascus is confirmed. “If this is proven, there would need to be a response (…) which can take the form of a tough response”, Fabius stated, without wanting to say more, and without using the word “military” either. He also twice stated that this does not mean sending military to the area, because it is “impossible”, “it is not a question of troops on the ground”. Should the chemical weapons massacre be confirmed, Fabius added that this would be “a horrendous slaughter”, that condemnation from the international community would be required, and that there was the “possibility of a response”, mentioning the UK and the US “and why not the Russians who have also signed” the international agreement which bans the use of chemical weapons.
Security Council still divided. “If the United Nations Security Council cannot take a decision, then the decisions must be taken in another way”, Fabius said, without entering into detail. He regretted the “ambiguous” response of the Security Council that met in emergency on 21 August. The Council has again proved divided, calling for light to be shed on the attack, but without a formal statement being adopted due to opposition from Russia and China. Europe has called for the UN mission of inquiry to be able to go directly to the scene of the attack (see EUROPE 10904). “If the Syrian regime has nothing to reproach itself for, then it should let the investigators carry out their inquiry. If the Syrians don't want this, it means that they have been caught red-handed”, Fabius stated.
Fabius said that during the evening of 21 August he had a “long discussion” with the leader of the Syrian opposition, Ahmad Jarba, at Jarba's request. In the opposition's view, over 1,200 people died in the attack. The regime has denied this (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.fl)