- Title: France to convene Syria meeting after Assad, allies launch "total war"
- Date: 23rd November 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-MARC AYRAULT, WALKING OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE AYRAULT TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-MARC AYRAULT, SAYING: "Today around 1 million people are besieged according to the United Nations, not only in Aleppo, not just in Homs, but in Ghouta and in Idlib, this is the reality of the situation in Syria today. France is taking an initiative to confront the strategy -- of total war by the regime and its allies, who are taking advantage of the uncertainty in the United States -- to gather very quickly the group of the friends of Syria in the next few days in Paris. We will also continue our fight at the U.N. Security Council towards a resolution which condemns the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. That's the reality." FRENCH AND EUROPEAN FLAGS
- Embargoed: 8th December 2016 11:11
- Keywords: France Syria Bashar al-Assad civil war Aleppo
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00159O0YTJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France accused Syria and its allies of using the political uncertainty in the United States to launch "total war" against rebel-held areas in the country and said states opposed to President Bashar al-Assad would meet in Paris soon.
"France is taking an initiative to confront the strategy of total war by the regime and its allies, who are taking advantage of the uncertainty in the United States," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.
He said a meeting of countries opposed to Assad would take place in the coming days in Paris and that France would also now actively push for a U.N. Security Council resolution to sanction the Syrian government for the use of chemical weapons. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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