Hague: Act now to stop chemical warfare

BRITAIN: Chemical weapons will become ‘‘legitimised’’ and used in future wars if the West fails to take military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar alAssad, former British foreign secretary William Hague says.

Writing in

Hague said he was in ‘‘little doubt’’ that if he were still in office today, he would recommend military intervention in Syria.

Prime Minister Theresa May has suggested that Britain is prepared to join any action by the United States and France, warning that the Syrian government ‘‘must be held to account’’ for the ‘‘barbaric’’ chemical attack on eastern Ghouta on Sunday.

The understands that Cabinet ministers are urging May to avoid the potential ‘‘fiasco’’ of a House of Commons defeat on military action, such as that suffered by David Cameron in 2013, and instead take direct measures. May has also been warned that failure to join a coalition between the US and France could diminish Britain’s international standing.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday he would make a decision on the American response to the chemical weapons attacks within the ‘‘next 24 to 48 hours’’. Trump spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday and pledged a ‘‘strong, joint response’’.

Government sources said potential British action could involve cruise missiles or sorties by Tornado jets.

Hague was foreign secretary when the government lost its vote for action in Syria, which is widely considered to have emboldened the Assad regime. He said the UK became ‘‘enfeebled spectators of one of the most destructive conflagrations of our time’’.