SYRIA STRIKE

France urges Russia to join peace push

France is urging Russia to join a push for a political solution in Syria after joint US, French and British attacks on Syrian chemical weapons sites.

French Foreign Minister JeanYves Le Drian said in an interview published yesterday in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that, “we should join our efforts to promote a political process in Syria that would allow a way out of the crisis.”

France has continued to talk regularly with Russia even as East-West tensions have grown. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, hours before the Western missile strikes.

Western countries blamed Syria’s government for a chemical attack on a rebel-held area earlier this month that killed more than 40 people. The Syrian government and its ally Russia denied the allegations.

President Donald Trump on Saturday declared “Mission Accomplished” for the US-led allied missile attack on Syria’s chemical weapons program, but the Pentagon said the pummeling of three chemical-related facilities left enough others intact to enable the Assad government to use banned weapons against civilians if it chooses.

“A perfectly executed strike,” Trump tweeted after US, French and British warplanes and ships launched more than 100 missiles nearly unopposed by Syrian air defenses. “Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!”

Pope Francis yesterday told the faithful in St. Peter’s Square that he was “deeply disturbed” by the international community’s failure to come up with a common response to the crisis in Syria and other parts of the world.

“Despite the tools available to the international community, it is difficult to agree on a common action toward peace in Syria or other regions of the world,” the pope told a crowd of 30,000 after his traditional Sunday blessing.

Francis called on “all people of goodwill” to join him in praying for peace, and appealed to political leaders to help “justice prevail.”

The suffering in Syria has been top among the pope’s concerns. Francis last Sunday said “nothing can justify” the use of chemical weapons and called for negotiations.”There is not a good or a bad war, and nothing can justify such instruments that exterminate defenceless people and populations,” the pope said.

“Let’s pray that the responsible politicians and military leaders choose another path: that of negotiations, the only one that can bring peace.”