Pressure mounts on Assad over chemical gas attacks

Renewed strikes by the Assad regime killed 34 civilians on Wednesday in the Eastern Ghouta region, where overwhelmed medics were still treating survivors of the conflict鈥檚 bloodiest day in months. (AFP)

JEDDAH: France on Wednesday joined an international chorus of condemnation of the Assad regime for using chemical weapons against Syrian civilians.
鈥淎ll indications 鈥� tell us today that chlorine is being used by the regime in Syria,鈥� Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
鈥淚'm weighing my words because as long as we haven鈥檛 completely documented this we have to stay prudent,鈥� he said.
Asked how France would respond, Le Drian pointed to the 鈥減artnership against impunity鈥� agreed by two dozen countries in January to ensure that perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria were held accountable.
But he did not allude to any other response, including military retaliation, that France might take against the Assad regime if the attacks are confirmed.
Shortly after taking office last year, French President Emmanuel Macron said chemical attacks in Syria would be a 鈥渞ed line鈥� for France.
UN war crimes investigators are studying reports that chemical weapons have been used in the opposition-held zones of Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, and in the northwestern Idlib province.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said the accusations 鈥渃ontinue to be of grave concern鈥� and it was investigating 鈥渁ll credible allegations.鈥�
The US said this week there was obvious evidence of recent chlorine gas attacks in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus that has been under Assad regime siege for more than five years.
Syrian opposition spokesman Yahya Al-Aridi told Arab News there was every indication that the regime of Bashar Al-Assad was committing atrocities. 鈥淟e Drian is right,鈥� he said.
Al-Aridi said the OPCW had evidence, which is why its work was being obstructed by Russia, Syria鈥檚 ally, and its mission was not renewed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin 鈥渉as taken the UN Security Council hostage,鈥� Al-Aridi said. 鈥淩ussia has used its veto to protect the regime 11 times and I don鈥檛 think they would hesitate to use it a 12th time. However, I believe there are ways to do things outside the Security Council. There is the General Assembly. Something can be done there to protect Syrian civilians.鈥�
The French foreign minister also accused Iran and Turkey of violating international law in Eastern Ghouta and northern Syria, and called for 鈥渢he withdrawal of all of those who ought not to be in Syria, including Iranian militia, including Hezbollah.鈥�
Le Drian did not specifically call on Turkey to pull back from an offensive against Kurdish militias in northern Syria, but he said Ankara should not worsen the conflict.
鈥淓nsuring the security of its borders does not mean killing civilians and that should be condemned. In a dangerous situation Turkey should not add war to war,鈥� he said.
Turkey鈥檚 EU Minister Omer Celik said Le Drian鈥檚 statement reflected 鈥渁 double standard on the issue of terror.鈥�
鈥淭urkey鈥檚 fight conforms to international law,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose who violate the law and commit crimes are those who arm the PYD-YPG terror groups.鈥�