( CNN ) -- Sarin gas has been used several times in the Syrian civil war , including at least once by the Assad regime , France 's foreign minister said Tuesday , citing results from test samples in France 's possession . Laurent Fabius announced that conclusion after meeting with the head of a United Nations mission set up to establish the facts about the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria . `` I gave him the results of tests carried out by our lab appointed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to identify chemical warfare , '' Fabius said in a statement , referring to the Swedish scientist Professor Ake Sellstrom . `` These results show the presence of sarin in the samples that are in our possession , '' Fabius said . `` In view of these elements , France now has the certainty that the sarin gas was used in Syria several times and in a localized manner . '' In an interview later Tuesday with CNN affiliate France 2 , Fabius blamed the Syrian government in at least one of the cases . `` There is no doubt that it is the regime and its accomplices , '' Fabius said . He added the French government examined the chain of events from the moment of the attack through the lab results to determine that government was responsible . Fabius ' announcement did not say when or where the weapons may have been used or who may have used the gas in the other cases . Syrian rebels have been fighting the government for more than two years . Atrocities have been blamed on both sides . The announcement coincided with the release of a draft report posted on the website of the U.N. Human Rights Council that concludes : `` There are reasonable grounds to believe that chemical agents have been used as weapons . The precise agents , delivery systems or perpetrators could not be identified . '' In Washington , White House press secretary Jay Carney said the United States was working with the French and other allies as well as the Syrian opposition to determine those answers . `` We need to expand the evidence we have , '' he told reporters Tuesday . `` We need to make it reviewable ; we need to have it corroborated before we make any decisions based on the clear violation that use of chemical weapons would represent by the Syrian regime . So , we will continue in that effort . '' Asked how long that might take , he said , `` I do n't have a timetable for you . '' He noted that Damascus has consistently turned down U.S. requests for a U.N. investigative team to be sent to Syria . `` But we are not relying on the United Nations alone , '' he said . `` We are aggressively pursuing other avenues to gather the evidence that is required . '' Earlier this year , the United States said its intelligence analysts had concluded `` with varying degrees of confidence '' that chemical weapons had been used in Syria . But President Barack Obama said `` intelligence assessments alone are not sufficient . '' In early May , the head of the U.N . Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that evidence points to the use of sarin by Syrian rebel forces . But the commission later issued a news release saying it `` has not reached conclusive findings as to the use of chemical weapons in Syria by any parties to the conflict . '' In April , the head of the Israeli military 's intelligence research said the Syrian government is using chemical weapons against rebel forces . OPINION : Obama must act on Syria chemical weapons .
NEW : This means the product will ship as received by the manufacturer, sealed, with all advertised components, and with the manufacturer warranty. France is certain sarin gas was used in Syria `` several times , '' Fabius says . The announcement comes after a meeting with the head of a fact-finding mission . Human Rights Council report : `` Reasonable grounds '' to believe chemical agents were used .