PARIS: France will for now not act on US President Donald Trump’s call for European allies to repatriate hundreds of Daesh fighters from Syria, taking back militants on a “case-by-case” basis, its justice minister said on Monday.
US-backed fighters appear poised to capture Daesh’s last enclave in Syria and Trump on Saturday pressed France, Britain and Germany to bring home more than 800 captured Daesh fighters and put them on trial.
Trump has sworn to pull US forces from Syria after Daesh’s territorial defeat, raising concerns in Paris and other European capitals that militants from their countries could disperse and try to return to their home countries.
“There is a new geo-political context, with the US withdrawal. For the time being we are not changing our policy,” Belloubet told France 2 television. “At this stage France is not responding to (Trump’s) demands.”
French government policy had been to categorically refuse to take back fighters and their wives. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian referred to them as “enemies” of the nation who should face justice either in Syria or Iraq.
But the prospect of the United States’ withdrawal from Syria has forced France to prepare for the return of dozens of French militants held by US-backed Kurdish authorities, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner acknowledged in late January.
Paris is already trying to repatriate minors on a case-by-case basis.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are holding about 150 French citizens in northeastern Syria, including 50 adults, military and diplomatic sources say.
Germany, too, was cool toward Trump’s demands, saying it could only take back Daesh fighters if the suspects had consular access.
France snubs Trump’s appeal to repatriate Daesh fighters en masse, for now
France snubs Trump’s appeal to repatriate Daesh fighters en masse, for now
- US-backed fighters appear poised to capture Daesh’s last enclave in Syria
- French government policy had been to categorically refuse to take back Daesh fighters and their wives
EU assembly weighs freezing US trade deal over Trump’s Greenland threats
- Signatories were mainly fellow members of Clausen’s Left Group, but also included center-left Social Democrats and Greens
- Greens lawmaker Anna Cavazzini said the only argument in favor of the deal was to bring stability
BRUSSELS: The European Parliament is considering putting on hold the European Union’s implementation of the trade deal struck with the United States in protest over threats by US President Donald Trump to seize Greenland.
The European Parliament has been debating legislative proposals to remove many of the EU’s import duties on US goods — the bulk of the trade deal with the US — and to continue zero duties for US lobsters, initially agreed with Trump in 2020.
It was due to set its position in votes on January 26-27, which the MEPs said should now be postponed.
Leading members of the cross-parliamentary trade committee met to discuss the issue on Wednesday morning and decide whether to postpone the vote. In the end, they took no decision and settled on reconvening next week.
A parliamentary source said left-leaning and centrist groups favored taking action, such as a postponement.
A group of 23 lawmakers also urged the EU assembly’s president Roberta Metsola on Wednesday to freeze work on the agreement as long as the US administration continued its threats to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
“If we go through and approve a deal that Trump has seen as a personal victory, while he makes claims for Greenland and refuses to rule out any manner in which to achieve this, it will be easily seen as rewarding him and his actions,” the letter drafted by Danish lawmaker Per Clausen said.
Signatories were mainly fellow members of Clausen’s Left Group, but also included center-left Social Democrats and Greens.
Greens lawmaker Anna Cavazzini said the only argument in favor of the deal was to bring stability.
“Trump’s actions show again and again that chaos is his only offer,” she said.
French lawmaker Valerie Hayer, head of the centrist Renew Europe group, said on Tuesday the EU should consider holding off a vote if Trump’s threats continued.
Many lawmakers have complained that the US trade deal is lopsided, with the EU required to cut most import duties while the US sticks to a broad rate of 15 percent.
However, freezing the deal risks angering Trump, which could lead to higher US tariffs. The Trump administration has also ruled out any concessions, such as cutting tariffs on spirits or steel, until the deal is in place.
