PARIS: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday that missile strikes carried out overnight in Syria by Britain, France and the US had destroyed a “large part” of Damascus’s stocks of chemical weapons.
“A large part of its chemical arsenal has been destroyed,” Le Drian told BFM television. “A lot has been destroyed in last night’s strikes.”
He also said France had “solid intelligence” that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad was behind the gas attack in the rebel-held city of Douma last weekend, which monitors say killed at least 40 people.
Syria as well as its main backer Russia have denied being behind the attack, a claim that was dismissed by Le Drian, citing “overwhelming testimony” and extensive analysis by French intelligence services and laboratories.
“The analyzes are not yet finished... but will allow us to identify all the gases. There was chlorine, that’s certain,” and preliminary evidence points to other gases as well, he said.
But although France has determined that high-ranking officers in the Syrian army ordered the attack, Le Drian said he could not state with certainty that Assad himself was behind those orders.
He warned, however, that France would not hesitate to strike Syria again in case of further chemical attacks.
“On the question of chemical weapons, there is a red line that must not be crossed, and if it should be crossed again, there will be another intervention,” Le Drian said.
“But I think the lesson has been learned.”
“The point is to make sure there is no proliferation of chemical weapons,” he added. “The point was not to impact the regime’s allies, nor even to impact the institutional functioning of the Syrian regime.”
Le Drian also said that for now President Emmanuel Macron still planned to travel to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin in May, while urging Moscow to work constructively on applying US Security Council resolutions on Syria.
“We have to keep talking with Russia, and Russia needs to realize that it has voted in favor of UN security resolutions (on Syria) and that they must be applied today, and not be carried away by the barbarity of Bashar Assad,” he said.
France says ‘large part’ of Syria chemical arsenal destroyed
France says ‘large part’ of Syria chemical arsenal destroyed
Senegalese president meets Kuwaiti crown prince ahead of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
- Bassirou Diomaye Faye visits Kuwait and the UAE this week to strengthen his country’s ties with Gulf nations
LONDON: The president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, arrived in Kuwait on Monday for an official visit before traveling on to the UAE to participate in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Faye, who was accompanied by ministers responsible for national transformation, African integration, foreign affairs, finance and water management, held talks with Kuwait’s crown prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, on a number of issues, officials said.
The president aims to strengthen ties between Senegal and Gulf countries during his visits to Kuwait and the UAE this week, his office said. And on Jan. 14 and 15 he will take part in the final two days of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, described as a significant annual, international event dedicated to addressing the challenges related to sustainable development, energy transition and innovation.
Faye was welcomed on arrival in Kuwait by the country’s prime minister, Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; the deputy assistant foreign minister for African affairs, Naif Mohammed Al-Mudhaf; and other officials.
