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| US, France and Britain agree to respond to Syrian gas attack | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Theresa May joined the US president, Donald Trump, and the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday in warning they would respond to the Syrian gas attack in order to uphold the global ban on the use of chemical weapons. | |
| In separate phone calls, the three allies agreed that the international community should work closely together to make sure the regime, and its backers, were held to account. | |
| The prime minister is facing mounting pressure from senior Conservative MPs to support US-led airstrikes against the regime of Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, after the suspected chemical attack in Douma that killed dozens of people. | |
| Earlier, she chaired a meeting of senior intelligence officials and ministers at her so-called “war cabinet”, the National Security Council, to discuss the crisis, which is pushing the US and Russia closer to a direct confrontation over the Middle East. | |
| A Downing Street spokesman said of the calls: “They agreed that reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were utterly reprehensible and, if confirmed, represented further evidence of the Assad regime’s appalling cruelty against its own people and total disregard for its legal obligations not to use these weapons. | |
| “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.” | |
| A White House spokesman added: “Both leaders condemned Syrian president Assad’s vicious disregard for human life. The president and prime minister agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.” | |
| May said Britain was working urgently with allies and partners to assess what had happened on the ground in Douma on Saturday, while deflecting questions over whether the UK would take part in a joint international response to the atrocity. | May said Britain was working urgently with allies and partners to assess what had happened on the ground in Douma on Saturday, while deflecting questions over whether the UK would take part in a joint international response to the atrocity. |
| She revealed that she spoke to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, a key ally against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, earlier on Tuesday and would have a phone call with Donald Trump later. | She revealed that she spoke to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, a key ally against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, earlier on Tuesday and would have a phone call with Donald Trump later. |
| The prime minister condemned the “brutality” of the attack, adding: “Of course we’ll be talking about this issue, including the discussions that have been taking place at the security council of the United Nations.” | The prime minister condemned the “brutality” of the attack, adding: “Of course we’ll be talking about this issue, including the discussions that have been taking place at the security council of the United Nations.” |
| It came as the war of words between the US and Russia escalated after Trump said a decision was imminent on a response to the attack on the outskirts of Damascus, while Russia said any western military response would have “grave repercussions”. | It came as the war of words between the US and Russia escalated after Trump said a decision was imminent on a response to the attack on the outskirts of Damascus, while Russia said any western military response would have “grave repercussions”. |
| May has said the Assad regime and its Russian backers must be held to account if found responsible for the poison gas attack on the rebel-held town of Douma that killed at least 42 people. | May has said the Assad regime and its Russian backers must be held to account if found responsible for the poison gas attack on the rebel-held town of Douma that killed at least 42 people. |
| She did not rule out joining international military action against the Syrian regime on a trip to Scandinavia on Monday, but refused to elaborate on the range of options that could be available to the government. | She did not rule out joining international military action against the Syrian regime on a trip to Scandinavia on Monday, but refused to elaborate on the range of options that could be available to the government. |
| But she added: “We are working urgently with our allies to asses what has happened. But, we are also working with our allies on any action that is necessary.” | But she added: “We are working urgently with our allies to asses what has happened. But, we are also working with our allies on any action that is necessary.” |
| Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary, has said that “a full range of options should be on the table” for the international community in response to the attack. This is understood to include airstrikes against military targets. | Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary, has said that “a full range of options should be on the table” for the international community in response to the attack. This is understood to include airstrikes against military targets. |
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| Theresa May | Theresa May |
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