Hollande Tells Obama All Points to Damascus Role in Chemical Attack, Fabius Says No Doubt Regime Did It
French President Francois Hollande told his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on Sunday that "everything was consistent" with the conclusion that Damascus was behind last week's suspected chemical attack.
"The head of state condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and indicated that everything was consistent with designating the Damascus regime as the perpetrator of these unacceptable attacks," the French president's office said in a statement.
"The two presidents agreed to stay in close contact to arrive at a joint response to this unprecedented aggression," the statement said.
Earlier on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said there was "no doubt" the Damascus regime was behind a suspected chemical weapons attack near the capital last week.
"The indications are totally convergent on the scale of the massacre and the overwhelming responsibility of the regime... As far as we are concerned, there is no doubt concerning the substance of the facts and their origin," Fabius told a Jerusalem press conference.
Asked about the Syrian regime's decision on Sunday to grant U.N. inspectors permission to inspect the sites of the suspected chemical strikes, Fabius replied that "this request was already made several days ago."
"The site has been bombed since," he said.
"We will see what the actual work that will be done is," he added.
U.N. inspectors in Syria are due to launch their probe into allegations of chemical weapon use on the outskirts of Damascus on Monday.
"From the moment the substance of the facts is established incontestably, there will necessarily be a strong response," Fabius added.
The press conference came at the end of a two-day visit by Fabius to Israel and the Palestinian territories to support the peace process and to discuss events in the region.
Later on Sunday, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault implied that a punitive strike on Syria was not imminent, in an interview with France 2 television.
"Once this (U.N.) investigation has ended, we await a firm decision, a clear decision, from the international community. The (U.N.) Security Council will meet," he said.
On Sunday morning, Hollande said there was "a body of evidence indicating that the August 21 attack was chemical in nature, and that everything led to the belief that the Syrian regime was responsible for this unspeakable act."
Source: Agence France Presse
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