The US has also stated that it has seen “obvious evidence” of recent gas attacks in the two areas. “I’m weighing my words because as long as we haven’t completely documented this we have to stay prudent,” Le Drian said. Syria had agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). However, both the UN and the OPCW have said the Syrian government has used sarin and chlorine gas weapons in the past two years, an accusation Damascus has repeatedly denied. However, when pressed on how France intended to respond to the allegations of chlorine gas use, Le Drian stopped short of advocating military retaliation.

Source: Egypt Independent February 07, 2018 13:41 UTC