May to justify airstrikes on Syria before Parliament
THERESA MAY will set out her reasons for Britain joining Us-led airstrikes against Syria on Monday after warning that the “abhorrent” use of chemical weapons cannot be allowed to become “the new norm”.
The Prime Minister is expected to address Parliament to explain both the necessity for action and her decision to deny MPS a vote on the matter.
She cleared the way for British participation in airstrikes on Thursday when the Cabinet gave its unanimous backing for the UK joining the international response to last week’s gassing of civilians in Douma, near Damascus.
Mrs May was expected to speak to Donald Trump, the US president overnight to agree the final details of missile attacks on military targets of the Assad regime. Mrs May spoke with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, last night and the leaders “agreed to keep working closely together on the international response”, a Downing Street spokesman said.
At least one of the Royal Navy’s attack submarines was deployed in the Mediterranean last night armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, able to strike targets anywhere in Syria. Britain is also understood to have improved defences around RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus by stationing a destroyer nearby, following Russian threats of retaliation. A dozen Tory MPS have demanded a vote on any military action.
However the Government is adamant that military intervention is a decision for ministers under the powers of royal prerogative. Mrs May has
ruled out a parliamentary vote on military action when MPS return from the Easter recess on Monday.
Last night Russia made 11th-hour attempts to convince the allies not to bomb Syria, saying air strikes would lead to “new waves of migrants” to Europe. Meanwhile, Mr Macron yesterday spoke to Vladimir Putin, calling for dialogue to be “maintained and stepped up”. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned that the Cold War was “back with a vengeance” in remarks to the Security Council. Mr Trump, who insisted on Wednesday that missiles “are coming”, appeared to be delayed by a cautious approach from the Pentagon. James Mattis, his defence secretary, warned that the US needs to stop any military intervention from “escalating out of control”. But the president was warned that he would look like “Obama 2.0” if he failed to take action, a reference to his predecessor’s decision not to intervene in Syria in 2013.
More than 70 people, including children, died in the chemical weapons attack on Douma in Syria last weekend.
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that “no one is buying” Russia’s lies and cover-ups. She said that Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons at least 50 times. She told the UN Security Council: “Should the United States and our allies decide to act in Syria, it will be in defence of a principle on which we all agree. All nations and all people will be harmed if we allow Assad to normalise the use of chemical weapons.”