Mr Juppe said it was the "moment of
truth" and if the Syrian regime were not complying with the plan's terms
France would seek a resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN charter Photo: EPA
You know, the French really are a messed up bunch. This is what happens when you go through decades and decades of socialistic wimps running the show and letting your Muslim population grow to the size it is...but today France got all tough like and warned Syria that military intervention might be on the way if Syria doesn't stop the slaughter...but France also made it known that they would be calling for OTHERS to instigate the intervention.
Oh sure, Mr. Frenchman, the countries are just lining up to put their troops in harm's way for you at the wave of your hand. Suggestion to France - if you don't like what's going on in Syria then load up your troops and drop them inside of the borders of Syria and have them take care of the situation - but don't be looking for America or Britain or NATO to do your dirty work.
The story's from The Telegraph.
France steps up pressure on Syria as it threatens demand of intervention
Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, said he was giving the peace plan put forward by Kofi Annan, the United Nations envoy, which includes sending hundreds of monitors to Syria, until May 5 to show it was working.
That is the day Mr Annan is due to make his next report on the mission to the UN security council. Mr Juppe said it was the "moment of truth" and if the Syrian regime were not complying with the plan's terms France would seek a resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN charter.
Chapter 7 permits the use of force, and was used in the Libya campaign, though it can also mandate non-military action.
"This cannot continue indefinitely. We want to see observers in sufficient numbers, at least 300, deployed as quickly as possible," he said. "If that does not work, we cannot allow the regime to defy us."
Mr Annan has already reported to the council that Syria had failed to withdraw weapons from population centres in violation of the terms of the April 12 ceasefire.
"The situation in Syria continues to be unacceptable," he said late on Tuesday. "The Syrian authorities must implement their commitments in full and a cessation of violation in all its forms must be respected by all parties."
Government troops shelled and raided the Damascus suburb of Douma on Wednesday, on the same day that UN monitors visited the town. Activists have accused the Syrian government of using visits by the handful of monitors already in the country to target opposition figures.
"Troops raided houses in Kourshood street, arresting people randomly," Douma resident Yahya Hawash said. "Some broke into shops. They started shelling at 8 o'clock this morning.
"When the monitors came security forces were with them, and no one could speak frankly."
Others claimed that 11 activists in Hama were captured and executed the day after they spoke to UN observers visiting the city.
"Syrian intelligence came back to Arbaeen district after the observers left," said Mousab Alhamadee. "They arrested the activists from their hideout, took them to the High School of Industry and shot them.
"The regime has decided to punish people who talked to monitors. Residents are fleeing areas that the monitors visit as they are afraid of government attacks."
The full deployment of the 300 UN observers has been delayed since the plan was agreed, with only fifteen monitors currently inside Syria.
Bassma Kodmani, spokesman for the Syrian National Council, said it still supported the Annan plan as a "positive development" that could yet acquire momentum. But she called for the observers to be supplied with helicopters – something unlikely to be agreed by Mr Assad.
Mr Juppe said it was "unacceptable" that Syria had rejected a monitor from an unnamed country of which it did not approve, and has said it would not allow in any from countries that had joined the "Friends of Syria" group led by the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
He said the peace plan was not dead, but was "severely compromised".
A Chapter 7 resolution invoking the use of force would almost certainly be vetoed by Russia and China. However, they agreed to the resolution that sent the monitoring mission, and a report by Mr Annan, whom both countries have strongly backed, saying that Mr Assad had failed to live up to the resolution's terms would put both under pressure to agree some form of tougher action.
In further fighting yesterday, activists abroad and inside the country reported the deaths of four civilians on a bus in the northern province of Idlib. The bus was attacked from a checkpoint on the main road from Aleppo to the capital.
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