PARIS (AP) --
France's foreign minister on Thursday raised the possibility of the
international community using force if it is proven that Bashir Assad's
regime used chemical weapons in an attack the Syrian opposition says
killed over 100 people.
Laurent Fabius spoke a
day after the U.N. Security Council called for "a thorough, impartial
and prompt investigation" of the latest allegations against the regime,
in a statement that diplomats says was watered down by objections from
Russia and China.
Opposition forces and
activists have said that at least 136 people, including many children,
were killed in the Wednesday attack in which most bodies bore no sign of
wounds.
Speaking on RMC radio, Fabius did not
make clear how the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime might
be proven. But if there is proof of a chemical weapons attack by the
regime, "we need a reaction by the international community .... a
reaction of force," he said.
Fabius excluded
boots on the ground as an option, "but a reaction that can take a form, I
don't want to be more precise, of force."
Fabius
said he spoke at length with the head of the opposition Syrian National
Coalition chief, Ahmad al-Jarba, who "confirmed absolutely" that the
regime was behind the chemical attack. The Syrian government has
adamantly denied using chemical weapons in an artillery barrage
targeting suburbs east of Damascus.
The attack
coincided with the visit to Syria by a 20-member U.N. chemical weapons
team which only has a mandate to investigate three previous allegations
of chemical weapons use. Without a mandate, which needs Syria's
approval, the investigators would not be able to visit the site of the
attack.
The Turkish and German foreign
ministers underlined demands for the Syrian regime to allow U.N.
inspectors to investigate, but were vague about what the consequences if
it doesn't - beyond renewing calls for sanctions.
"Several
red lines have been crossed - if sanctions are not imposed immediately,
then we will lose our power to deter," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said, speaking at a press conference in Berlin.
His German counterpart was more hesitant about an eventual response.
"I
am not speculating about what should happen if these reports turn out
to be true," Guido Westerwelle said. "These accusations are so serious,
so monstrous that it is necessary to enable a real examination before
talking or speculating about consequences."
Davutoglu,
speaking through an interpreter, said the allegations "must be cleared
up in the most objective way." He said he'd spoken to U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon and told him that "the U.N. must not behave
hesitantly anymore; sanctions must now be imposed."
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag insisted it was clear that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons.
"It
is clear that chemical weapons were used. It is clear that in Syria,
only the Assad administration is in possession of this weapon," Bozdag
said. "The whole world knows who has what amount of weapons, where these
weapons are and where they go to. This is clear as day. Everyone knows
who used the chemical weapons."
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Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
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Follow Ganley on Twitter at twitter.com/Elaine-Ganley
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