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| British troops to Syria unlikely despite evidence of chemical weapons use – PM | British troops to Syria unlikely despite evidence of chemical weapons use – PM |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| British troops are unlikely to be sent to Syria despite "limited but growing evidence" that chemical weapons have been used in the country's civil war, David Cameron has said. | British troops are unlikely to be sent to Syria despite "limited but growing evidence" that chemical weapons have been used in the country's civil war, David Cameron has said. |
| The prime minister agreed with Barack Obama that the issue was a "red line", but said he neither wanted nor expected it to precipitate the deployment of UK forces. | The prime minister agreed with Barack Obama that the issue was a "red line", but said he neither wanted nor expected it to precipitate the deployment of UK forces. |
| Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Friday, Cameron said: "It is very disturbing what we are seeing. It's limited evidence but there's growing evidence that we have seen too of the use of chemical weapons, probably by the regime. | Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Friday, Cameron said: "It is very disturbing what we are seeing. It's limited evidence but there's growing evidence that we have seen too of the use of chemical weapons, probably by the regime. |
| "It is extremely serious – this is a war crime – and we should take it very seriously." | "It is extremely serious – this is a war crime – and we should take it very seriously." |
| Cameron said they were trying not to make the mistake of "rushing into print" and were working to consider and verify the evidence with Britain's allies. | Cameron said they were trying not to make the mistake of "rushing into print" and were working to consider and verify the evidence with Britain's allies. |
| "I think what President Obama said was absolutely right – that this should form for the international community a red line for us to do more," he said. | |
| "I have always been keen for us to do more. We are working with the opposition, we want our allies and partners to do more with us to shape that opposition to make sure we are supporting people with good motives who want a good outcome, to put pressure on that regime so we can bring it to an end." | "I have always been keen for us to do more. We are working with the opposition, we want our allies and partners to do more with us to shape that opposition to make sure we are supporting people with good motives who want a good outcome, to put pressure on that regime so we can bring it to an end." |
| Asked if there could be troops on the ground in Syria, Cameron said: "I don't want to see that and I don't think that is likely to happen, but I think we can step up the pressure on the regime, work with our partners, work with the opposition in order to bring about the right outcome. | Asked if there could be troops on the ground in Syria, Cameron said: "I don't want to see that and I don't think that is likely to happen, but I think we can step up the pressure on the regime, work with our partners, work with the opposition in order to bring about the right outcome. |
| "But we need to go on gathering this evidence and also to send a very clear warning to the Syrian regime about these appalling actions." | "But we need to go on gathering this evidence and also to send a very clear warning to the Syrian regime about these appalling actions." |
| He said intervention was already under way through measures such as trade embargoes, sanctions and travel bans. | He said intervention was already under way through measures such as trade embargoes, sanctions and travel bans. |
| "The question is how do we step up the pressure and, in my view, what we need to do – and we're doing some of this already – is shape that opposition, work with them, train them, mentor them, help them, so that we put the pressure on the regime and so what we can bring this to an end." | "The question is how do we step up the pressure and, in my view, what we need to do – and we're doing some of this already – is shape that opposition, work with them, train them, mentor them, help them, so that we put the pressure on the regime and so what we can bring this to an end." |
| He added: "It is extremely difficult though, and extremely frustrating." | He added: "It is extremely difficult though, and extremely frustrating." |
| The prime minister's comments suggest that, in the wake of the Iraq war, both the UK and the US are extremely wary of being drawn into military action based on intelligence that could turn out to be faulty. | The prime minister's comments suggest that, in the wake of the Iraq war, both the UK and the US are extremely wary of being drawn into military action based on intelligence that could turn out to be faulty. |
| London and Washington have called on Bashar al-Assad to allow UN inspectors to carry out a full investigation to establish what had happened. | London and Washington have called on Bashar al-Assad to allow UN inspectors to carry out a full investigation to establish what had happened. |
| On Thursday night the White House said the US intelligence community had assessed with "varying degrees of confidence" that chemical weapons had been used by the regime on a small scale. | |
| The weapons are believed to include the deadly nerve agent sarin. | The weapons are believed to include the deadly nerve agent sarin. |
| It is understood that samples smuggled out of Syria were analysed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down in Wiltshire. | It is understood that samples smuggled out of Syria were analysed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down in Wiltshire. |