Brussels, 05/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - During a debate in the French national parliament on Wednesday 4 September, the French government believed action in Syria is necessary to advance the political process.
“Yes, the solution to the Syrian crisis will be political and not military. But let's look reality in the face - if we don't put a stop to actions like these from the regime, there will be no political solution”, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told the National Assembly. His speech was read to the Senate (upper chamber) simultaneously by France's Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius. Fabius underlined that “punishment is not in contradiction with political negotiation - it is the condition for it”.
“What would Bashar al-Assad's interest be in negotiating, as long as he believes he can (…) 'liquidate' - these are his own terms - 'liquidate' his opposition, especially by means of weapons that wreak terror and death?”, Ayrault asked. “We want both to punish and to dissuade, to respond to this atrocity in order to avoid it happening again. We also want to show Bashar al-Assad that he does not have other solutions than that of negotiating”, he added. “Yes, we want his departure, as part of a political solution in favour of which France will continue to take the initiative”, Ayrault stated.
In the view of the French government, “not to respond would be to put the peace and security of the whole region in danger”.
The parliament, whose vote is not necessary for launching intervention, is divided. The opposition does not want intervention without a mandate from the United Nations.
In an interview with the AFP news agency, Syria's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Faycal Moqdad described it as “shameful that the French president (can say) 'if the Congress approves, I'm going to war, otherwise I won't go', as if the French government didn't have a say” (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.fl)