World News
France Promises Proof Assad Regime Behind Chemical Attack
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PARIS – France says it will provide proof within days that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime carried out the April 4 chemical attack in Syria that killed at least 90 people.
Speaking Wednesday evening on French TV, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “We will provide proof that the regime did indeed organize these strikes with chemical weapons.”
He said he couldn’t provide evidence now because analysis is still underway but added: “In a few days I’ll be able to provide proof.”
Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad said a suspected chemical weapons attack was a “fabrication” to justify a US strike on his forces. Assad insisted his forces had turned over all their chemical weapons stocks years ago and would never use the banned arms.
Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons arsenal in 2013.
Speaking Thursday, French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon called on the United Nations to punish those behind the attack and said “whoever uses chemical weapons should be condemned.”
The Associated Press