Syria: 'strike won't change anything' - de Villepin

Nearly two weeks after reports emerged of an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians in the Damascus suburbs, the West's response is still uncertain.

France has said it is prepared to go ahead with military intervention, but former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin told HARDtalk that other options should also be looked at.

Mr de Villepin warned that intervention might make the situation worse and the conflict in Syria needed to be looked at in a wider context: "We are on the verge of a sectarian war among the Islamic countries... You cannot treat one aspect of the conflict and forget about the rest. We must be responsible."

"We know that this strike isn't going to change anything on the ground," he added.

You can watch the full interview on BBC World News on Wednesday 4 September at 14:30 and 20:30 GMT and Thursday 5 September at 00:30 BST on the BBC News Channel.

Watch more clips at HARDtalk's website