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Aleppo: West 'gathering possible war crime evidence' Aleppo: West gathering possible war crime evidence
(about 2 hours later)
Western forces are using satellites and unmanned aircraft to gather evidence of possible war crimes in Syria, the BBC has learned. Western forces are using satellites and unmanned aircraft to gather evidence of possible war crimes in Syria, the UK government has confirmed.
Government sources said the aerial photographs would be used to identify potential breaches of international humanitarian law.
Thousands of civilians remain trapped in Aleppo as fighting continues.Thousands of civilians remain trapped in Aleppo as fighting continues.
A government source said justice would "catch up" with those carrying out war crimes. The Foreign Office said no UK government drones were operating over Aleppo, but the Syrian opposition had been trained to collect evidence.
Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood said those committing crimes against humanity may "be held to account"
Former chancellor George Osborne told MPs in an emergency Commons debate on Tuesday that the situation in Aleppo was due to "a vacuum of Western and British leadership".Former chancellor George Osborne told MPs in an emergency Commons debate on Tuesday that the situation in Aleppo was due to "a vacuum of Western and British leadership".
Also on Tuesday, the UN said civilians were being killed deliberately by militias supporting the Syrian government. Also on Tuesday, the UN said civilians were being killed deliberately by militias supporting President Bashar al-Assad's government.
UK government sources said that as well as using aerial surveillance, Britain and the US were gathering evidence of alleged atrocities from open source social media and local testimony from activists on the ground. The government has said that as well as using aerial surveillance, evidence of alleged atrocities is being collected from open source social media and local testimony from activists on the ground.
They said the lesson they had learned from Iraq was to gather information about alleged war crimes as a conflict takes place. In a statement, the Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood, said the UN security council had "failed" Aleppo by denying UN humanitarian access to the city.
"Russia has gone from supporting siege to supporting slaughter. Yet Russia's veto will not prevent individuals committing potential crimes against humanity from being held to account," he added.
"Members of Assad's regime participating at any level in these atrocities should be aware data is now being collected through testimonials, social media and aerial technology - so individuals committing crimes against humanity may one day be tapped on the shoulder and held account for their actions."
Government sources earlier said the lesson learned from Iraq was to gather information about alleged war crimes as a conflict takes place.
This gives investigators something to work with once the fighting stops, so that eventually those guilty can be brought to justice in the international criminal courts.This gives investigators something to work with once the fighting stops, so that eventually those guilty can be brought to justice in the international criminal courts.
The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, hinted at the surveillance activity on Tuesday when he told MPs: "We are gathering all the information that we think will be necessary for the prosecution of those guilty of war crimes."
A government source said: "We want people on the ground to know that if they carry out war crimes, then one day they may get a tap on the shoulder.
"Nobody will be spared. Justice will catch up with them."
The Ministry of Defence has said it does not comment on intelligence gathering operations.The Ministry of Defence has said it does not comment on intelligence gathering operations.