French president backs strikes
PARIS: French President Francois Hollande expressed readiness yesterday to push ahead with plans to strike Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons despite the British parliament’s rejection of military action.
Washington was also preparing for the possibility of a strike against the Damascus regime within days.
‘‘The chemical massacre of Damascus cannot and must not remain unpunished,’’ Mr Hollande said in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, published yesterday, as UN experts in Damascus began what is expected to be the last day of their probe into the alleged attack.
The French president reiterated that France wants a ‘‘proportional and firm action’’. When asked about the type of intervention, however, he said ‘‘all options are on the table’’.
Mr Hollande suggested that action could even come ahead of Wednesday’s extraordinary session of the French parliament, called to discuss the Syria situation; lawmakers’ approval is not needed for Mr Hollande to order military action.
‘‘I will not take a decision before having all the elements that would justify it,’’ he told Le Monde. However, noting that he had convened parliament, he added: ‘‘And if I have [already] committed France, the government will inform [lawmakers] of the means and objectives.’’
The British parliament voted late on Thursday against military action in Syria, whittling down the core of the planned coalition to the United States and France. Italy and Germany have said they will not take part in any military action.
A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday there’s been no request for a military commitment by his country and the government is not planning any. ‘‘We have not considered it and we are not considering it,’’ Stephen Seibert said.
The British ‘‘no’’ vote raised questions about France’s participation — and ratcheted up pressure on US President Barack Obama, who is also facing domestic scepticism about military intervention in Syria.
Amid the resistance, the US administration shared intelligence with lawmakers on Thursday aimed at convincing them the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its people and must be punished. Mr Obama appeared undeterred by the difficulties forming an international coalition, and advisers said he would be willing to retaliate against Syria on his own.