BRUTAL & BRAZEN
May warns Assad and Russian allies West will not stand by and allow regime to use chemical weapons on its own people
THERESA May yesterday refused to rule out military action against Syria after the poison gas attack which left dozens dead.
The Prime Minister warned president Bashar al-Assad and his Russian backers would be “held to account” if the Syrian government were found to be using chemical weapons.
May accused Assad’s regime of “brutality and brazen disregard for its own people” and blasted Russia and president Vladimir Putin for blocking international action in Syria.
The PM did not rule out joining international military action against Syria but refused to elaborate. President Donald Trump and France’s Emanuel Macron pledged a joint international response in the expectation that action by the United Nations Security Council, which met last night, would be vetoed by Russia.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, called for inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to fly to Syria today to visit the site of the “alleged attack” and said that his country was being threatened by the US and UK.
Britain was locked in talks with allies in Washington and Paris and at the UN.
May said: “If they are found to be responsible, the regime and its backers – including Russia – must be held to account.” Medical sources say dozens were killed in Saturday’s attack in the rebelheld town of Douma but Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said no evidence of a chemical weapons attack had been found.
UK Government sources suggested any action to punish Assad would have to be approved by parliament.