Macron says has ‘proof’ of Syrian chemical attack, vows response

French President Emmanuel Macron says he would respond to “proof” that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons “at a time of our choosing.”

“We have proof that chemical weapons were used last week, at least chlorine, and that they were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad,” Macron says during an interview on France’s TF1 television.

Macron adds that he is in daily contact with US President Donald Trump and that they would decide on their response “at a time of our choosing, when we judge it to be the most useful and the most effective.”

The French leader, who had made the use of chemical weapons in Syria a “red line,” says one of his aims in Syria was to “remove the regime’s chemical attack capabilities.” But he repeats that he wants to also avoid “an escalation.”

— AFP