French Foreign Minister Mr Hubert Vedrine said today the United Nations Security Council should consider imposing sanctions on countries that refused to back a global fight against terror.
Mr Vedrine said in an interview with French daily Le Mondethat the Security Council was the best body to supervise an international reaction to last week's terrorist blitz on the United States.
He noted that on September 12th, one day after hijackers crashed four airliners into US targets, the Security Council passed a motion proposed by France recognising Washington's right to respond in self-defence.
"Thus the United Nations gave the United States and her allies broad leeway to react," Mr Vedrine said
"And as far as the Security Council is concerned, more specific actions are possible, for example sanctions against states that refuse to co-operate," he said.
On a visit to Washington on Tuesday French President Mr Jacques Chirac offered President George W. Bush France's full support in a campaign to defeat global terrorism.
AFP