‘BARBARIAN’ ASSAD TARGETED
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THERESA May and Donald Trump last night vowed to work together to bring “barbaric” Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to justice.
Along with French President Emmanuel Macron, the PM and US leader said their countries “needed to respond” to the chemical attack that killed 70.
Mrs May is facing growing pressure to bypass Parliament and launch airstrikes against Assad without MPs’ permission.
Mr Trump cancelled a planned trip to South America to “oversee the American response” to the attack.
He held talks with military leaders in Washington yesterday. Branding the attack “barbaric”, Mrs May yesterday refused to say if Britain would respond militarily. She said: “If this is the responsibility of Assad’s regime, then it’s yet another example of brutality.”
No10 said of the PM’s chat with US and French leaders: “They agreed [to] continue working together to ensure that those responsible were held to account.” British war planners already have mapped out potential Syrian targets.
Last night, a US carrier strike force was said to be heading to the Mediterranean to support the destroyer USS Donald Cook. Mrs May yesterday led a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss Saturday’s attack in Douma.
Former Foreign Secretary William Hague urged her to act before gas attacks become “just another aspect of war”.
He said military action does not need UN backing as Vladimir Putin’s UN representative Vassily Nebenzia would just “obstruct” it.
He said: “If Trump launches serious retaliation, he will be fully justified. We should back him.”
The US plans to call a UN Security Council vote for a new inquiry into Syria’s use of chemical weapons. A Russian veto may trigger US-led strikes.
US ambassador to Nato Kay Hutchison branded the attack “genocide”. She added: “Military response is appropriate.”
In April last year, the US launched several cruise missiles at a Syrian air base. It followed a chemical attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, which killed dozens of people.
On Monday, a blast in the rebel-held city of Idlib destroyed a building, killing at least 13 and injuring many more.