France considers use of force in Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - France says the Security Council should consider the use of force in Syria if a UN-backed peace plan fails to stop violence in the country, BBC News reported.

"We cannot allow the [Damascus] regime to defy us," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said.

Violence has continued despite a plan by international envoy Kofi Annan calling on Damascus to withdraw troops and heavy weapons from cities.

Mr Juppe said 300 UN monitors should be deployed in Syria within two weeks.

If the peace plan fails, he added, "we would have to move to a new stage with a Chapter Seven resolution" - which allows for action that could be backed by force - "to stop this tragedy".

There are concerns that such a resolution would be vetoed by Russia and China - which have blocked previous attempts to impose UN sanctions on Syria.

On Tuesday, Mr Annan told the Security Council that the Syrian military had not withdrawn its forces or heavy weapons from population centres.

Mr Annan said he was "particularly alarmed by reports that government troops entered Hama [on Monday] after observers departed, firing automatic weapons and killing a significant number of people".

The UN has sent a small advance team of observers to Syria. Last weekend the Security Council approved the deployment of another 300.