France calls for 'complete halt' of arms sales to Syria

France called for a 'complete halt' in arms sales to Syria, the spokesman for the French ministry of foreign affairs said Wednesday, a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Russia of supplying Syria with attack helicopters.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - France on Wednesday called for a complete halt to arms sales to Syria amid growing Western criticism of Russian weapons exports to President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

"We are calling for a complete halt to arms exports to the Syrian regime as asked by joint United Nations-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan before the Security Council last week," French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

SYRIA SAYS SUNNI ENCLAVE 'CLEANSED' OF TERRORISTS

AFP - Syria's government said on Wednesday it has "cleansed terrorists" out of Al-Haffe, a Sunni enclave feared to be the site of a new massacre, as Russia accused the United States of arming rebels.

The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) said its fighters pulled out of Al-Haffe in a tactical move to spare civilians of the beleaguered northwestern village following an eight-day bombardment by regime forces.

As the conflict spiralled to vicious new heights, Turkey reported that 2,500 Syrians had fled across its border in the past 48 hours, saying the numbers had increased amid fresh attacks even targeting UN observers.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday accused Russia of recently sending a shipment of attack helicopters to Syria.

Russia has always argued that it was only supplying Syria with weapons such as air defence systems that could not be used against civilians in the regime's 15-month standoff with the armed opposition.

Valero said Paris gives its "full support and scrupulous respect to the total arms embargo against Syria imposed by Europe."

He also said there was no way that French-sold arms were making their way to the regime.

"On this subject our doctrine is clear: When France sells arms it watches to make sure they cannot be turned against (a country's) people."

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was to hold a press conference on Syria Wednesday at 1330 GMT.