No reliable evidence of chlorine use by Syrian govt : French DM

France has no reliable evidence that the chemical agent chlorine was used by the Syrian government forces, and thus cannot yet speak of a ‘red line’ having been crossed, the French Defense Minister said.


“We have some indications of possible chlorine use [in Syria], but we have no absolute confirmation,” Minister Florence Parly told France Inter radio on Friday. “So we, alongside the others, are working on trying to confirm this, as we clearly have to get the facts straight.” Parly did not specify who else was engaged in the confirmation effort.

Currently, Paris is not ready for a harsh response alluded to by French President Emmanuel Macron in May 2017, according to the country’s defense chief. At that time, Macron said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is “a red line” for France and would result in “immediate reprisals.”
 (RT)
 9/2/18
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