G7 condemns Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement Monday on behalf of G7 leaders condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria by the Bashar al-Assad regime.

“We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Union, are united in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the use of chemical weapons in the April 7 attack in Eastern Ghouta, Syria,” the statement read.

Trudeau is the 2018 chairman of the G7 – a grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies.

He said he and the other G7 leaders stand firm in their support of the American-led retaliatory attack on Syria as punishment.

“We fully support all efforts made by the United States, the United Kingdom and France to degrade the Assad regime’s ability to use chemical weapons to deter any future use, demonstrated by their action taken on April 13,” the statement said.

“This response was limited, proportionate and necessary – and taken only after exhausting every possible diplomatic option to uphold the international norm against the use of chemical weapons.”

The use of chemical weapons was banned by the international community after World War I and it was strengthened again in 1972 and 1993 by prohibiting the development, stockpiling and transfer of such weapons.

“Use of chemical weapons is a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention and constitutes a threat to international peace and security,” the statement said.

Despite contravention of the ban, the statement said the G7 leaders still supported the call for the use of diplomacy as the tool to end the Syrian conflict.

“We remain committed to a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria.”