Calls grow for French parliamentary vote on Syria intervention

Only hours before a meeting between Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and political leaders from the French parliament Monday, calls were growing here for a full parliamentary vote to approve or reject a military intervention in Syria. Political, media, and government sources confirmed and corroborated the growing swell among parliamentarians to have their say on any French participation in a strike against Syrian regime targets. The British Parliament last week rejected a role for Britain in any future military action alongside the United States and other allies, but even President Barack Obama has decided to put the question before Congress and get a vote to back up any eventual action. Ayrault will present the parliament leaders of all parties tonight with video and documentary evidence that allegedly proves the regime of Bashar Al-Assad was behind the August 21 chemical attacks in the suburbs of Damascus where hundreds died from contamination. But there are no plans, at this stage, to have a vote in the French National Assembly and in the Senate or a joint house of parliament session on whether France should retaliate and seek "to punish" the Syrian regime for violations of international law. Former Foreign Minister and also Prime Minister Alain Juppe said on "BFM Television" that President Francois Hollande does not need parliamentary approval to strike Syria, but he said this was "the first time France would be intervening ... without a UN mandate and it is a very particular circumstance which justifies a vote in parliament." Juppe said "the best thing would have been to have an agreement in the UN Security Council but this has proved impossible." The lack of a legal backing for an international action is what many opposition figures here say makes them unhappy and uncomfortable with a French participation. Many opposition figures also want to wait for the publication of a full UN report from chemical warfare inspectors who left Syria last Saturday and are compiling a report on the deadly scene in the Al-Ghouta and other suburbs of the Syrian capital. Former Defence Minister and opposition figure, Gerard Longuet, also told "France Info" radio that a debate and vote is needed and the decision to attack Syria should only be taken after the publication of "the full report of UN inspectors." Jean-Louis Borloo, leader of the moderate centrists, said that "in a business like this, with the President of America hiding behind his constitutional democracy, which is the least we can do for France, without a UN mandate." Ayrault will make his case Monday evening to the parliament and is also to reveal much-awaited "declassified" intelligence information on Syria's chemical warfare programme and activities. Other parliamentarians questioned whether the diplomatic track had been exhausted and urged efforts to talk to Syria's ally, Russia, at the G20 summit in Russia this week.