Tuesday, August 27, 2013

U.S. ready to strike, France 'ready to punish' ,MPs to vote on military action and Syria vows to defend themselves

kgw.com

U.S. ready to strike; Syria vows to repel attackers

by Associated Press

Posted on August 27, 2013 at 6:26 AM

Updated today at 12:26 PM

WASHINGTON D.C.(AP) - U.S. forces are now ready to act on any order by President Barack Obama to strike Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday.
The U.S. Navy has four destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea positioned within range of targets inside Syria, as well as U.S. warplanes in the region, Hagel said in an interview with BBC television during his visit to the southeast Asian nation of Brunei.
Obama asked the Pentagon to give him "all options for all contingencies," Hagel said, and "we have done that."
Syria's foreign minister said Tuesday his country would defend itself using "all means available" in case of a U.S. strike, denying his government was behind an alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus and challenging Washington to present proof backing up its accusations.
The United Nations said that its team of chemical weapons experts in Syria delayed a second trip to investigate an alleged poison gas attack near Damascus by one day for security reasons.
Walid al-Moallem, speaking at a press conference in Damascus, likened U.S. allegations that President Bashar Assad's regime was behind a purported poison gas attack to false American charges that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of that country.
"They have a history of lies - Iraq," he said. Al-Moallem spoke a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said there was "undeniable" evidence of a large-scale chemical attack likely launched by Assad's regime.

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Kansas City Star

France 'ready to punish' Syria over gas attack

August 27

]The Associated Press
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PARIS — French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that his country is prepared to take action against those responsible for gassing people in Syria.

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Kenzo Tribouillard | AP Photo French President Francois Hollande delivers his speech during a conference with France's ambassadors, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Tuesday Aug. 27, 2013. Francois Hollande said France is prepared to take action against those responsible for gassing people in Syria.

"France is ready to punish those who took the heinous decision to gas innocents" in Syria last week, Hollande said at a conference with France's ambassadors. He did not elaborate.
"I have decided to increase our military support to the National Syrian Coalition," the main Syrian opposition group in exile, he also said.
France, one of Europe's biggest military powers, has not specified what preparation it is taking for any possible international action against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

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Syria crisis: MPs to vote on military action as US and Britain plan to attack Assad

Nicholas Cecil

Updated: 16:29, 27 August 2013
David Cameron today announced Parliament’s recall over the Syria crisis as Britain and America plan military strikes against president Bashar Assad’s regime for an alleged chemical weapons attack.
MPs were summoned back to Westminster from their summer break four days early for a debate and vote on Thursday on a military response to the reported killing of hundreds of civilians with a nerve agent attack on the outskirts of Damascus.
Syrian opposition figures were reportedly told by Western envoys at a meeting in Istanbul that military strikes could be launched within days.
Breaking with tradition, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to make the announcement: “Speaker agrees my request to recall Parliament on Thurs. There’ll be a clear Govt motion & vote on UK response to chemical weapons attacks.”
The move is a major gamble by Mr Cameron because if he is defeated, it would be very difficult for him to use British military assets against Assad’s forces suspected of carrying out the attack.

Strike plan: HMS Tireless, armed with cruise missiles, could be heading to Syria. David Cameron cut short a trip to Cornwall The Commons vote will not be legally binding but Downing Street stressed the Government would “respect Parliament’s view”.
The military response will be led by America and US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said his country was “ready to go” once the decision is taken on what kind of action to launch.
Russia, Assad’s key ally, and Iran are warning against attacks on his forces.
Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem also vowed the regime would use “all means available” to defend itself, again denying “utterly and completely” that state forces carried out the alleged chemical weapons atrocity.
MPs and international law experts are divided over the legality of any military strike on Syria without the backing of the UN Security Council.
But the Government has insisted that any military action will abide by international law.
Mr Cameron, who cut short a holiday in Cornwall to return to London, will also have to persuade many of his backbenchers and Labour that intervention in Syria, even if limited, is in Britain’s national interests.

Inspection: UN inspector, right, speaks to a man about the alleged chemical weapon attack during a visit to a hospital Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander stressed Labour would not give the Government a “blank cheque” but hinted at support if it was aimed at preventing the further use of chemical weapons.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is backing a “strong response”.
The Prime Minister will tomorrow chair a meeting of the National Security Council which will discuss the military options and their legal backing.
In his latest call with world leaders, Mr Cameron spoke today to Australian premier Kevin Rudd who also pointed the finger of blame at the Assad regime.
Downing Street stressed the military response would be “proportionate”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman added: “We are currently looking at what the correct response should be and as part of that, our armed forces are making contingency plans.
“In terms of end game, this is about looking at how we deter the use of chemical weapons because this is something that is completely abhorrent and against all international law.”
Limited missile strikes against Assad’s forces are seen as the most likely military action despite warnings against such attacks from Russia and Iran.

HMS Tireless: could be sent to Syria HMS Tireless, a Trafalgar class submarine armed with cruise missiles, was reported in Gibraltar at the weekend, and could be deployed off the Syrian coast, along with US Navy warships.

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