David Cameron makes last-ditch bid for China and Russia to support UN resolution for military strikes in Syria

 
David Cameron: will chair a meeting of the National Security Council today

Britain today launched a last-ditch bid to get UN Security Council backing for military strikes on Bashar Assad’s regime over a suspected chemical weapons attack.

BRITAIN today launched a last-ditch bid to get UN Security Council backing for military strikes against Bashar Assad’s regime.

David Cameron challenged Russia and China to support a new UN resolution “condemning the chemical weapons attack by Assad” and “authorising necessary measures to protect civilians” in Syria. The Prime Minister added on Twitter: “We’ve always said we want the UN Security Council to live up to its responsibilities on Syria. Today they have an opportunity to do that.”

Britain has drafted the resolution, in consultation with the US and France, which will be put to the five permanent members of the Security Council in New York this afternoon. But within hours of the British move, Russia called for the UN Security Council to wait for weapons inspectors to report on the alleged nerve agent attack in Syria before considering a response.

David Cameron: will chair a meeting of the National Security Council today

Russia’s opposition was signalled by deputy foreign minister Vladimir Titov. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon also called on the West to give the weapons inspectors “time” to do their job, a demand echoed by shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander.

The UN-Arab League special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said evidence suggested some kind of chemical “substance” was used in the attack in the Ghouta area outside Damascus last Wednesday but added that any allied military strike against Assad must have Security Council approval.

With the shadow of the Iraq War hanging over the Syria conflict, Labour believes the Security Council should consider the inspectors’ report before any military action. Downing Street has refused to give that guarantee and senior Coalition sources said that the inspectors were not expected to answer the key question as to who was responsible for the attack.

Mr Alexander also called on the Government to publish evidence that Assad’s forces were responsible, and the legal case for the proposed military response. Former Labour Cabinet minister Peter Hain spoke out against intervention, saying: “Everything tells us that in Syria, of all conflicts, the idea of a clean, surgical strike, with nothing following, is an illusion. It is not going to be like that. There will be some other reason to do something else. Before we know it, we will be dragged into full-scale military action.”

Ukip leader Nigel Farage also warned against military intervention, saying: “I can’t see that this is in our national interest, and I cannot see how firing cruise missiles can make anything better.”

Mr Cameron has said Britain should act to stop more chemical weapon attacks. Uncertainty over the escalation of the conflict at the heart of the oil-exporting Middle East sent oil prices, and gold, to their highest levels in months while shares fell. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned that military intervention would “lead to the long-term destabilisation of the situation in the country and the region”.

UN chiefs said the inspectors needed four days to conclude their inquiry. Assad only allowed them to visit the attack sites after the UN sent its disarmament chief Angela Kane to demand access. A UN resolution would strengthen the legal arguments for military action, though the Government insists any strikes will abide by international law, a claim rejected by some experts.

Washington’s evidence for blaming the attack on Assad’s forces is said to include an intercepted phone call from a defence chief demanding answers from a chemical weapons unit.

Satellite images are also expected to be published in an attempt to bolster the case that the Syrian military was responsible.

The UN move, even if it fails, should boost the case being pushed by Mr Cameron, and broadly supported by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband, for limited military strikes to deter future chemical weapon attacks, provided they can be legally justified.

Ahead of a Commons vote on the issue, America’s new ambassador to London pointed out to MPs who are wary of military action in Syria to remember that the respecting of a global ban on chemical weapons was at stake. Matthew Barzun, 42, told of the US and UK governments’ “shared horror” at the suspected nerve agent attack.

Speaking to the Evening Standard in his first interview since arriving in London last Friday, he emphasised the two countries’ “resolve” to act to prevent further such atrocities.

While reluctant to be drawn into the political debate in Britain about military strikes, he added: “I would say, and if you look at what Secretary of State John Kerry has said, you look at what President Obama has said, about just putting this in the context of chemical weapons and the international community’s successful ability for almost 100 years to prevent that from being used as a tool of war, that’s I guess what I would say.”

Mr Barzun’s remarks also echo warnings from Mr Cameron, who today chaired a “war council” to discuss military strikes. The NSC, which was attended by senior ministers, military top brass and intelligence chiefs including Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Nick Houghton, ended shortly before 2pm.

It “agreed unanimously that the use of chemical weapons by Assad was unacceptable — and the world should not stand by”, Mr Cameron tweeted.

Mr Cameron spoke to Mr Obama last night about the possibility of military action. A No 10 spokesman said: “Both leaders agreed that all the information available confirmed a chemical weapons attack had taken place, noting that even the Iranian president and Syrian regime had conceded this. And they both agreed they were in no doubt that the Assad regime was responsible. Regime forces were carrying out a military operation to regain that area from the opposition at the time, and there is no evidence that the opposition has the capability to deliver such a chemical weapons attack.”

A team of UN inspectors left their Damascus hotel this morning to continue their investigation. All three main British political parties face revolts by their MPs over military action, with dozens of Conservative and Labour MPs expected to rebel. A YouGov poll in The Sun also showed half of Britons were opposed to missile strikes.

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