President Hollande said he supports “firm” punitive action against the Assad regime in Syria over the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack, and that France’s position had not changed despite the recent British vote against an intervention. He said the attack could come by Aug. 4, when the French parliament debates the issue. He said he is not in favor of an intervention to topple the regime but rather to deal it a body blow for its use of chemical weapons. France has sent one of its latest warships to waters off Syria. China told France that determining who used the chemical weapons in Syria must be a precondition to any action.
