Paris Wants Syria Regime Dragged before ICC, Doha Backs Arming Rebels
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
France said on Monday that it wants to see the Syrian regime dragged before an international court of justice, as Qatar announced it was in favor of delivering arms to rebels battling the Syrian government.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, speaking during a break in talks between EU foreign ministers, said he would plead for legal action during a visit later Monday in Geneva, where he will attend the United Nations Human Rights Council.
"I will say this afternoon in Geneva that I hope to see the international community reflect on the conditions of a referral to the ICC," he said.
"This is a difficult dossier," he said, adding that as Syria was not a party to the Rome convention establishing the International Criminal Court, the ICC could not initiate action itself.
Juppe said it would be up to the U.N. Security Council to refer the matter.
"So we will have to continue thinking and gathering elements that would enable a referral," he added.
Meanwhile, Qatar's prime minister said he was in favor of delivering arms to the Syrian opposition that is battling President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"We should do whatever necessary to help them, including giving them weapons to defend themselves," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani said during an official visit to Norway.
"This uprising in Syria now (has lasted) one year. For 10 months, it was peaceful: nobody was carrying weapons, nobody was doing anything. And Bashar continued killing them," he told a news conference.
"So I think they're right to defend themselves by weapons and I think we should help these people by all means," he added.
More than 7,600 people have been killed in violence across Syria since anti-regime protests erupted in March 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
27 February 2012, 15:43
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When France and the US and other "moral" authorities have their hands deep in crimes and atrocities, we don't hear them call for accountability or dragging the monsters before the ICC or other bodies. Perhaps in the past they fooled some. But those days are gone for good and France and the US and others should put it in their empty heads once and for all that THOSE DAYS ARE GONE FOR GOOD. Too bad for justice that every decent human being seeks, but not from the fakes and liars. NEVER AGAIN.
27 February 2012, 16:14
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Indeed, they were all busy selling arms and bullets. Let them look at their citizen getting more and more poor from years to years.
And I don't understand how some Arab countries are pushing and interfering in Syria when people in their own country has no right. Not even women and if one of them go on the street to protest he will be killed.
27 February 2012, 16:16
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Let's not bring the past, they will tell you. Like they think they will have a future. They could bomb you with a push of a button, they call it a clean kill, and war collateral. But in Syria, it is a war crime. In America, in Waco Texas, they attacked the Davidian compound to serve warrants. They ended by killing close to 80 people, 20 of them were children. Now they want to give Bashar a lecture.
27 February 2012, 16:29
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well said flame
but hope he has the guts to punish the terrorists who refused to free the wounded journalists
27 February 2012, 16:40
22
Lebanon is old news... But since then the international court of justice was founded and the ex Yugoslav leaders do know what a cell in the Hague feels like. This fate is also shared by some African leaders and soon to be the tyrant brothers of Damascus.
27 February 2012, 18:45
11
I guess you could care less about Lebanon, you are busy with the Syrians. True patriot you are.
27 February 2012, 16:49
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FlameThrower, Lebanon was of no interest to anyone, what do we have? Oil?Gas?Gold? Nada... When Kuwait was occupied by Saddam, half of the US army came to the rescue. Only arms dealers, druglords and warlords had their say during the 15 years of civil war. Have you ever heard about the great Syria (Suriya Al Kobra)which says that Lebanon is supposed to be a Syrian governorate?
27 February 2012, 16:53
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The big players are moving slow, but they are moving and ASSad is in their sights. Too bad ASSad will slaughter so many more before he is removed.
27 February 2012, 19:43
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The ASSad regime is finished once they start sending the SFA anti-tank missles, high powered sniper rifles, stinger missles, and a whole lot of machine guns.... GO FSA!!! Get rid of the ASSad filth...
27 February 2012, 20:37
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For 10 months it was peaceful? What? Since day 1 they've been killing policemen and burning private and public property.
27 February 2012, 21:35
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a regime murdering its citizens is bound to fall, it s mathematical...
27 February 2012, 21:45
11
so you are saying that they should not say a word today too because they didn t do a thing for the 20 to 50 000 people killed in the 80s?
strange logic :)
