The British government on Thursday agreed on the "need to take action" over a chemical weapons attack in Syria, Prime Minister Theresa May's office said.

"Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," Downing Street said after May met her top team.

Ministers "agreed the prime minister should continue to work with allies in the United States and France to coordinate an international response," May's office added.

The London meeting came as U.S. President Donald Trump weighed his military options and France warned it had "proof" the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons.

Pressure has been growing on Bashar Al-Assad's regime and its Russian backers since an alleged chemical attack on Saturday against the rebel-held town of Douma.

The British government said the deadly raid was "a shocking and barbaric act" which killed people "in the most appalling and inhumane way".

"Cabinet agreed that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday's attack," Downing Street said. </s> • The UK says the world must “take action” againsy Syria following a suspected chemical weapons attack.
• The British government believes it is “highly likely” the Assad regime was behind the attack that left 75 people dead.
• Prime Minister Theresa May says the UK will work with the US and France to coordinate a response.

Theresa May’s government has called on the world to “take action” against the Assad regime in Syria over a chemical weapons attack – but stopped short of announcing specific military action, saying it will work with international allies to formulate a response.

In a statement, the Cabinet said it was “highly likely” that the Assad regime in Syria was behind the attack which has left 75 people dead.

“Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged,” the statement said.

“Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. Cabinet agreed the Prime Minister should continue to work with allies in the United States and France to coordinate an international response.”

May’s Cabinet met for over two hours in Downing Street before coming to a final agreement.

Downing Street’s statement came as President Trump rowed back from his earlier suggestions that America would launch an imminent attack on Syria, tweeting that any strikes “could be very soon or not so soon at all!”.

He later told reporters that a decision would be made “fairly soon,” adding that “we’re looking very seriously and very closely at that whole situation and we’ll see what happens folks”.

The US defence secretary, James Mattis also indicated that the US is still considering its options, telling the House armed services committee that the administration’ main concern about a military response was to prevent the Syria conflict “escalating out of control”.

Any militiary action by May would be highly divisive in both the UK parliament and among the UK public.

One opinion poll released on Monday found that just one in five members of the public supported an attack.

The YouGov poll found that 22% of Brits support military action in Syria, while 43% oppose it.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also today all but ruled out backing UK military action against Syria, saying that “more bombing, more killing, more war will not save life” in Syria.

Corbyn warned that any attack could trigger a wider conflict with Russia.

“The dangers of bombing now, which could escalate the conflict beyond belief … Just imagine the scenario if an American missile shoots down a Russian plane or vice versa. Where do we go from there?”

He added that he was “not in favour of increasing military action in Syria; what I’m in favour of is a political process to bring about peace.”

Here’s the full statement from the Cabinet meeting: </s> The British government has signaled it is ready to back US military action against Syria, saying it was "highly likely" the Assad regime used chemical weapons on its own people and that such action could not go unchallenged.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's senior ministers agreed on the need for action at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, but Downing Street did not specify what measures the UK would take.

Ministers said there was need to "deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," and alleviate the humanitarian situation, a Downing Street statement said.

"This afternoon Cabinet met and received an update on the attack against innocent civilians in Douma, Syria, on Saturday. The Prime Minister said it was a shocking and barbaric act which killed up to 75 people, including children, in the most appalling and inhumane way."

"Cabinet agreed that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday's attack," the statement said.

"The Prime Minister said it was a further example of the erosion of international law in relation to the use of chemical weapons, which was deeply concerning to us all. Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged," the spokesperson added. Britain would work with United States and France to coordinate an international response, the statement said. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron claimed earlier that France had "proof" the Assad regime used chemical weapons in Douma at the weekend, and would support any US action. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier warned the West against attacking Syria, saying accusations about the suspected chemical attack on Douma were "fabricated." "Any possible action will only cause more instability in the region and threaten international security and peace," Syrian state TV quoted Assad as saying at a meeting Thursday with a high-level Iranian delegation in Damascus. On Wednesday, Trump appeared to suggest airstrikes were imminent, warning Russia, Syria's key ally, to "get ready" for military action. But after being criticized for apparently telegraphing US intentions, Trump on Thursday attempted to blur the timing of any potential airstrikes on Syria. "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!" he tweeted, without ruling out attacks. </s> LONDON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers will study “options” if Syria’s government again uses chemical weapons, but nothing is planned as yet, Britain’s foreign minister said on Sunday, after raids on Syrian targets triggered heated debate over their legality and effectiveness.

U.S., French and British missile attacks struck at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program on Saturday in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack a week ago, although the restrained assault appeared unlikely to halt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s progress in the seven-year-old civil war.

The bombing, denounced by Damascus and its allies as an illegal act of aggression, was the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and his powerful ally Russia.

But the three countries said the strikes were limited to Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities and not aimed at toppling Assad or intervening in the civil war.

Speaking on British television, British Foreign Secretary (Minister) Boris Johnson threw his weight behind Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to take part in the attack, saying it was the right thing to do to deter further use of chemical weapons.

“There is no proposal on the table at the moment for further attacks because so far thank heavens the Assad regime have not been so foolish as to launch another chemical weapons attack,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show.

“If and when such a thing were to happen, then clearly with allies we would study what the options were.”

His comments appeared in line with those of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Trump told her that if Syria uses poisonous gas again, “The United States is locked and loaded.”

The Western countries said the strikes were aimed at preventing more Syrian chemical weapons attacks after a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7 killed up to 75 people. They blame Assad’s government for the attack.

But British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said that the legal basis used to support the British role was debatable, adding that he would only support action backed by the United Nations Security Council.

“I say to the foreign secretary, I say to the prime minister, where is the legal basis for this?” Corbyn said.

“The legal basis ... would have to be self-defense or the authority of the U.N. Security Council. The humanitarian intervention is a legally debatable concept at the present time,” he said in an interview with the BBC on Sunday.

In Damascus, Assad told a group of visiting Russian lawmakers that Western missile strikes on his country were an act of aggression, Russian news agencies reported.

The agencies quoted the lawmakers as saying Assad was in a “good mood” and had praised the Soviet-era air defense systems used by Syria to help to repel the Western attacks.

Assad accepted an invitation to visit the Siberian region of Khanty-Mansi in Russia. It was not clear when the visit would take place.

He proclaimed on Twitter: “Mission accomplished,” echoing former President George W. Bush, whose use of the same phrase in 2003 to describe the U.S. invasion of Iraq was widely ridiculed as violence there dragged on for years.

“We believe that by hitting Barzeh, in particular, we’ve attacked the heart of the Syrian chemicals weapon program,” U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said at the Pentagon.

However, McKenzie acknowledged elements of the program remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future.

Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption “Morning of resilience”.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Late on Saturday Syria time, a large explosion was heard in a Syrian government-controlled area in a rural region south of Aleppo, according to the Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said the cause of the explosion was unknown, as well as its target.

Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him.

The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops on the ground to fight that group. But they have refrained from targeting Assad’s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes were “unacceptable and lawless.”

Syrian state media called them a “flagrant violation of international law,” while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it a crime and the Western leaders criminals.

Washington described the strike targets as a center near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons; a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs; and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to exercise restraint and avoid escalation in Syria, but said allegations of chemical weapons use demand an investigation.

Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW were due to try to visit Douma to inspect the site of the suspected gas attack. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for their findings.

Russia, whose ties with the West have sunk to levels of Cold War-era hostility, denies any gas attack happened in Douma and even said Britain staged it to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.

Syria agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons after a nerve gas attack killed hundreds of people in Douma. Damascus is still permitted to have chlorine for civilian use, although its use as a weapon is banned. Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use have been frequent during the war although, unlike nerve agents, chlorine did not produce mass casualties as seen last week. </s> (CNN) The British government has signaled it is ready to back US military action against Syria, saying it is "highly likely" the Assad regime used chemical weapons on its own people and that such action could not go unchallenged.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's senior ministers agreed on the need for action at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, but Downing Street did not specify what measures the UK would take.

Ministers said there was need to "deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," and alleviate the humanitarian situation, a Downing Street statement said.

According to the statement, May described the attack as a "shocking and barbaric act which killed up to 75 people, including children, in the most appalling and inhumane way." Britain would work with United States and France to coordinate an international response, the statement said.

May spoke with US President Trump Thursday night about the international response to Syria, and they "agreed that the Assad regime had established a pattern of dangerous behavior in relation to the use of chemical weapons," according to a Downing Street statement.

Earlier on Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned the West against attacking Syria, saying accusations about the suspected chemical attack on Douma were "fabricated."

French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that France had "proof" the Assad regime used chemical weapons in Douma at the weekend, and would support any US action. He said earlier this week that France was ready to attack the "chemical capabilities" of the Assad regime.

Trump has sent mixed messages on his country's readiness to act. On Wednesday, Trump appeared to suggest airstrikes were imminent, warning Russia, Syria's key ally, to "get ready" for military action. But after being criticized for apparently telegraphing US intentions, Trump on Thursday attempted to blur the timing of any potential airstrikes on Syria.

"Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!" he tweeted, without ruling out attacks.

Any potential strike against Syria could be carried out by extensive US and UK military assets already in the region, including two US Navy destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles . British media reported Wednesday that May has also ordered British submarines to move within missile range of Syria.

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International warnings

The suspected use of chemical weapons has drawn the West back into Syria's seven-year conflict. There are concerns, however, that further international intervention risks a confrontation between Russia and the United States. Russia has provided Assad with strong military backing.

Speaking Thursday, Assad issued a strong warning about strikes against Syria.

"Any possible action will only cause more instability in the region and threaten international security and peace," Syrian state TV quoted Assad as saying at a meeting Thursday with a high-level Iranian delegation in Damascus.

Russia has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said that he believes any strike against Syria would violate the UN charter.

"We hope that there will be no point of no return, that the US and the allies will refrain from military action against sovereign states," he said.

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Assad for killing "innocent kids in the Douma chemical attack," he also warned against using Syria as a place to flex military muscle.

Assad regime has 'track record' of using chemical weapons

The UK Cabinet agreed Thursday "that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday's attack," according to the Downing Street statement.

"The Prime Minister said it was a further example of the erosion of international law in relation to the use of chemical weapons, which was deeply concerning to us all. Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged," the spokesperson added.

Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have also expressed concern about the "erosion" of the international ban on chemical weapons, and have spoke to each other on the matter, according to a German government statement Thursday.

Merkel has however ruled out joining any possible strikes against Syria. Speaking Thursday, Merkel said that the "whole spectrum of measures must be considered" when responding to the use of chemical weapons, adding: "Germany will support all activities with the UN security council."

It remains unclear whether May would seek parliamentary support for any UK involvement in airstrikes. May is not required by law to consult the House of Commons, but by convention, members of Parliament expect to be consulted.

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Fact-finding mission to start soon

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons tweeted Thursday that a team of its investigators will start work Saturday in Douma. Earlier, Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told reporters in New York that those investigators were to arrive Thursday and Friday.

According to state-run Syrian News Agency (SANA), an official source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the government will cooperate fully with the OPCW fact-finding mission and that it would hold the West responsible for any delays in that mission.

Both the United States and Russia blocked proposals this week at the UN Security Council for independent investigations.

The World Health Organization estimated Wednesday that about 500 people could have been affected by the suspected chemical attack in Douma, citing reports from its health partners on the ground.

In a statement Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Security Council to reach an agreement on the "continued use of chemical weapons" in Syria and cautioned the situation could quickly spiral out of control if it didn't.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the title of French President Emmanuel Macron. </s> Milena Veselinovic and Judith Vonberg, CNN - The British government has signaled it is ready to back US military action against Syria, saying it is "highly likely" the Assad regime used chemical weapons on its own people and that such action could not go unchallenged.

According to the statement, May described the attack as a "shocking and barbaric act which killed up to 75 people, including children, in the most appalling and inhumane way." Britain would work with United States and France to coordinate an international response, the statement said.

May spoke with US President Trump Thursday night about the international response to Syria, and they "agreed that the Assad regime had established a pattern of dangerous behavior in relation to the use of chemical weapons," according to a Downing Street statement.

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron claimed that France had "proof" the Assad regime used chemical weapons in Douma at the weekend, and would support any US action. He said earlier this week that France was ready to attack the "chemical capabilities" of the Assad regime.

Trump has sent mixed messages on his country's readiness to act. On Wednesday, Trump appeared to suggest airstrikes were imminent, warning Russia, Syria's key ally, to "get ready" for military action. But after being criticized for apparently telegraphing US intentions, Trump on Thursday attempted to blur the timing of any potential airstrikes on Syria.

"Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!" he tweeted, without ruling out attacks.

Any potential strike against Syria could be carried out by extensive US and UK military assets already in the region, including two US Navy destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles. British media reported Wednesday that May has also ordered British submarines to move within missile range of Syria.

The suspected use of chemical weapons has drawn the West back into Syria's seven-year conflict. There are concerns, however, that further international intervention risks a confrontation between Russia and the United States. Russia has provided Assad with strong military backing.

"Any possible action will only cause more instability in the region and threaten international security and peace," Syrian state TV quoted Assad as saying at a meeting Thursday with a high-level Iranian delegation in Damascus.

Russia has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said that he believes any strike against Syria would violate the UN charter.

"We hope that there will be no point of no return, that the US and the allies will refrain from military action against sovereign states," he said.

Assad regime has 'track record' of using chemical weapons

The UK Cabinet agreed Thursday "that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday's attack," according to the Downing Street statement.

"The Prime Minister said it was a further example of the erosion of international law in relation to the use of chemical weapons, which was deeply concerning to us all. Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged," the spokesperson added.

Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have also expressed concern about the "erosion" of the international ban on chemical weapons, and have spoke to each other on the matter, according to a German government statement Thursday.

Merkel has however ruled out joining any possible strikes against Syria. Speaking Thursday, Merkel said that the "whole spectrum of measures must be considered" when responding to the use of chemical weapons, adding: "Germany will support all activities with the UN security council."

It remains unclear whether May would seek parliamentary support for any UK involvement in airstrikes. May is not required by law to consult the House of Commons, but by convention, members of Parliament expect to be consulted. </s> Bombing Syria was in Britain’s national interest and has had strong international support, Theresa May will insist as she tells Parliament why she ordered the attack.

The Prime Minister is expected to face angry MPs after launching military action without securing the support of the Commons.

But she will say the UK joined the United States and France in co-ordinated strikes following the chemical weapons attack in Douma to ‘alleviate further humanitarian suffering’.

Mrs May will ask for an emergency debate to allow more time for discussion in a nod to the fury among MPs at not being consulted, but she is not offering a vote.

‘There is broad based international support for the action we have taken,’ she will say.

It comes amid reports that Russia has launched a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign in response to the strikes.

Whitehall sources have confirmed a 20-fold increase in ‘disinformation’ spread by Kremlin-linked social media ‘bot’ accounts since the strikes, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK has to ‘take every possible precaution’ to prepare for possible revenge cyber attacks on targets like the NHS and electrical facilities.

Jeremy Corbyn has called for the introduction of a War Powers Act to stop governments launching military action in most circumstances without the backing of the Commons.

The Labour leader said chlorine has been used by ‘a number of parties in the conflict’ in Syria as a weapon and questioned the legality of the airstrikes.

Mrs May spoke in Downing Street in the hours after the blitz and insisted the action was a limited and targeted strike to degrade and deter the Syrian government.

But she also drew a link with the nerve agent attack on Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

The Prime Minister will tell MPs on Monday that the strikes were in the national interest because the use of chemical weapons cannot be normalised, including in the UK.

She will say: ‘Let me be absolutely clear: we have acted because it is in our national interest to do so.

‘It is in our national interest to prevent the further use of chemical weapons in Syria – and to uphold and defend the global consensus that these weapons should not be used.

‘For we cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised – either within Syria, on the streets of the UK or elsewhere.’

The Prime Minister spent Saturday evening speaking to world leaders to explain why Britain had joined forces with France and the US and will insist the three nations are ‘not alone’ in believing it was the ‘right thing to do’.

Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia and European Council President Donald Tusk have ‘all have expressed their support for the actions that Britain, France and America have taken’, the PM will add.

United Nations Security Council-mandated inspectors have probed previous attacks and decided Bashar Assad’s regime was responsible four times, MPs will be told.

‘We are confident in our own assessment that the Syrian regime was highly likely responsible for this attack and that its persistent pattern of behaviour meant that it was highly likely to continue using chemical weapons,’ Mrs May will add.

‘Furthermore, there were clearly attempts to block any proper investigation, as we saw with the Russian veto at the UN earlier in the week.

‘And we cannot wait to alleviate further humanitarian suffering caused by chemical weapons attacks.’

Four Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s joined the co-ordinated missile strikes at 2am on Saturday, launching Storm Shadow missiles at a base 15 miles west of Homs.

The United States is preparing to impose sanctions on Russia for ‘covering up’ the actions of the Assad regime. </s> A senior Syrian government minister has accused the UK of being involved in faking a chemical attack on civilians in order to justify air strikes against the regime. Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers that Britain was "absolutely" involved in faking an attack in Douma. The alleged incident on April 7 is said to have killed 75 people. </s> Jeremy Corbyn today demanded a 'war powers' law to ban the Prime Minister from taking military action without a Commons vote.

The Labour leader also made clear he does not accept that the strikes on Syria by the UK, US and France were legally justified on humanitarian grounds.

And Mr Corbyn insisted he would never countenance military action without a UN resolution - even though Russia has the power to veto them.

The comments - which will fuel deep splits within Labour - came amid a huge political row over Theresa May's decision to join reprisals against Bashar Assad over his use of chemical weapons.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Corbyn said: 'I think what we need in this country is something more robust like a War Powers Act so that governments do get held to account by Parliament for what they do in our name.'

The Labour leader warned of an escalation in a 'proxy war' between the US and Russia.

He said chlorine has been used by 'a number of parties in the conflict' in Syria as a weapon.

Mr Corbyn said that if Britain wants to 'get the moral high ground around the world' it must abide by international law for taking military action.

He said the humanitarian grounds used by the UK to justify strikes was 'debatable'.

'Where is the legal basis for this?' he said.

Asked if there were any circumstances in which he would back air strikes in Syria, Mr Corbyn replied: 'I can only countenance involvement in Syria if there is a UN authority behind it.

'If we could get to a process in the UN where you get to a ceasefire, you get to a political solution, you then may well get to a situation where there could be a UN force established to enforce that ceasefire. 'That surely would save a lot of lives.'

Boris Johnson today said failure to response to the Syrian regime's use of illegal chemical weapons against his own people would have undermined 'civilised values'.

But amid fears of revenge attacks by Russia, the Foreign Secretary stressed there was no intention of getting more deeply involved in the Syrian civil war.

The US, UK and France hailed their missile strikes in the early hours of yesterday morning as having successfully degraded the capability of Assad to deploy chemical weapons.

Some 75 people, including children, are said to have died when the Syrian regime used chlorine gas and another nerve agent in Douma last Saturday.

After ordering military action for the first time since entering No 10, a grim-faced Mrs May used a 9am Downing Street press conference to insist 'limited and targeted' bombing was the 'right thing to do' to stop the use of banned chemical weapons.

The military action passed off without UK casualties or any of the Russian forces on the ground being hit.

But there are over a Russian cyber backlash that could see vital services in Britain including water supplies, gas networks, banks, hospitals and air traffic control affected in retaliation for the strikes.
The British government issues a statement saying it is "highly likely" the Assad regime used chemical weapons on its own people, and that since such an action could not go unchallenged, Britain would work with United States and France to coordinate an international response, without specifying what measures the United Kingdom would take.