Paris- France said on Tuesday the United Nations Security Council had to respond over the use of chemical weapons in Syria with a resolution that would punish those responsible for repeated attacks.
Syrian regime forces used chemical weapons in opposition-controlled parts of Aleppo during battles to retake the city late last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Monday.
The findings add to mounting evidence of the use of banned chemical weapons in the six-year-old Syrian civil war and could strengthen calls by Britain, France and the United States for sanctions against Syrian officials.
While not confirming the report, a French foreign ministry spokesman said in a daily briefing published by Reuters that the allegations were “extremely serious.”
“It is up to the Security Council to act. France continues to discuss with its partners at the Security Council to adopt a resolution to punish those responsible for these attacks,” the spokesman said.
“The use of weapons of mass destruction constitutes a war crime and a threat to peace. Impunity is not an option,” he added.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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