May urges action on‘chemical attack’

PM to work with US and French leaders

SYRIA: Theresa May has “agreed” in telephone conversations with Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron that the international community “needed to respond” following reports of a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister spoke to the US and French presidents yesterday.

THERESA MAY has “agreed” in telephone conversations with Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron that the international community “needed to respond” following reports of a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister spoke to the US and French presidents on yesterday, and they agreed to “continue working closely together” to ensure those responsible were “held to account”.

The United States is looking to the UK and France for support as it finalises its response to the assault on the rebel-held town of Douma.

President Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron had already agreed to co-ordinate a “strong, joint response” after talks by telephone.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mrs May held separate calls with the two leaders and that they agreed the reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were “utterly reprehensible”.

“They agreed that the international community needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

“They agreed they would continue working closely together and with international partners to ensure that those responsible were held to account.”

Mrs May sidestepped questions about whether Britain would be involved in military action during a visit to Cambridge earlier on Tuesday.

She said: “This attack that took place in Douma is a barbaric attack.

“Obviously we are working urgently with our allies and partners to assess what has happened on the ground.

“If this is the responsibility of Assad’s regime in Syria then it’s yet another example of the brutality and brazen disregard for their people that they show.

“I spoke this morning to President (Emmanuel) Macron, I will be speaking later today with President (Donald) Trump and the National Security Council meets regularly, and I’ll be chairing a meeting of the National Security Council later today, and we’ll be working with our allies as I say, crucially, to make an assessment of what has happened on the ground.”

The National Security Council brings together relevant intelligence and defence chiefs and Cabinet ministers for top level briefings.

President Trump has said an apparent poison gas attack in Syria will be “met forcefully” and held talks with his military leaders in Washington on Monday night.

Mr Trump did not give a timeframe for any retaliatory action, but said the US could not stand by as such atrocities take place because “we are able to stop it”.

The president’s comments came after Moscow’s ambassador to the UN warned of the potential consequences of Western intervention in Syria.

Vassily Nebenzia said US attacks on Syria “could lead to grave repercussions” during heated exchanges at the UN Security Council. US ambassador Nikki Haley accused Russia of having “the blood of Syrian children” on its hands.

This attack that took place in Douma is a barbaric attack. Theresa May.