The Wednesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
Highlights from the news file for Wednesday, April 5
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FACTS OF SYRIAN ATTACK NEEDED, FREELAND SAYS: The facts behind the Syrian chemical weapons attack must be clearly established so those responsible can be held accountable, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday. Freeland stopped short of blaming President Bashar Assad’s government, but she says it will be a “damning indictment” of him if that turns out to be the case. “It is extremely important to hold accountable, at an individual level, the people responsible for this heinous attack,” Freeland said Wednesday from Brussels, where she was attending an international conference on the future of Syria. The minister chose her words carefully, saying the investigation into the Tuesday’s chemical attacks in Syria must essentially be bulletproof, so there is no doubt who is responsible. Canada and the U.S. are the two leading funders of the United Nations organization that investigates the use of the chemical weapons, which will play a role in establishing the facts of the attacks, she said. Freeland urged all permanent members of the Security Council to support a resolution by the U.S., Britain and France condemning the use of chemical weapons and threatening consequences.
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