France Vows to Recognize Provisional Government in Syria

            Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army murdered more than 300 rebels execution-style in Daraya. Following the new spike in violence, the United Nations is in a heated battle as to whether they should intervene. Western countries, Gulf Arab states, and Turkey all support the rebels, but Iran, Russia, and China stand behind Assad and his current government. With the United Nations in a deadlock, France stepped forward to announce that they would recognize a provisional Syrian government as soon as it is formed. President Francois Hollande urged Syria to create a government in hopes that this would entice the Syrian government and rebel groups to work toward a peaceful resolution (Erlanger). .
             Hollande berated Russia and China for vetoing an intervention by the United Nations in an attempt to protect Assad. According to Hollande, their "attitude is weakening our capacity to ensure the United Nations Charter is respected" (Erlanger). .
             On a separate note, France backed the United States and Britain in their intentions to intervene immediately if President Bashar al-Assad were to move or use any chemical weapons. All three countries vow to act immediately, even without a United Nations Security Council resolution. "With our partners we remain very vigilant regarding preventing the use of chemical weapons, which for the international community would be a legitimate reason for direction intervention," said Hollande to French ambassadors, in an attempt to further nudge Syria into settling (Erlanger). .
             Rebel groups first took up arms almost 18 months ago, and violence has increasingly gotten worse recently. Although almost all United Nations members agree that some form of action needs to take place in order to quell the uprising and keep the violence from spilling over into neighboring countries, they cannot agree on whose side to back. Furthermore, they cannot agree on the method to entering the country and ending President Assad's rule or how to gain credibility and have Syria keep peace even after foreign military troops are pulled out (Erlanger).