Macron rebukes Assad for accusing France of supporting terrorism

Paris : French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday defended his country's legacy in the Syrian civil war and dismissed as "unacceptable" scathing remarks made by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, who called France a "supporter of terrorism" in the conflict-ridden Arab nation.

Macron said that the Islamic State (IS) terror organisation could be wiped out of Syria by the end of February, adding that he would push for constructive peace talks that included Assad. But, the Syrian leader offered a scathing rebuke that France had spearheaded its support for terrorism in Syria since the early days of the war, Efe news reported. 

At an Elysée Palace press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Macron said France's contingency in Syria has been "coherent from the beginning".

Macron added that it had always targeted the IS and that only the US-led International Coalition, of which France's Air Force is a participant member, was capable of bringing an end to the terror organisation's presence in Syria. 

Assad's comments sparked widespread criticism among senior French officials. 

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, on a visit to Washington, said he would not take lessons from someone who massacred his own people.