Syria strikes - as it happened: Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons capability 'set back for years' by bombing, Pentagon says
Theresa May warns of further strikes if regime uses poison again
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Joint air strikes by the US, UK and France have set back Syria’s chemical weapons capability “for years”, the US military said.
Cruise missiles were fired at three sites in response to what Theresa May called the “despicable and barbaric” attack in Douma last week that is believed to have killed up to 75 people.
Ms May said Bashar al-Assad could face even further strikes if chemical weapons are used again - and the US warned that they were "locked and loaded" if poison used again.
US President Donald Trump declared “mission accomplished” after more than 100 missiles were collectively launched in the early hours of the morning.
During telephone conversations on Saturday afternoon, Ms May, Mr Trump and Emmanuel Macron all agreed that the military strikes in Syria "had been a success".
Downing Street published a document setting out why it believes military action against the Syrian regime was legal after Jeremy Corbyn described the action as legally questionable.
The Russian embassy in the US said it had warned that such actions would "not be left without consequences", adding that insulting President Vladimir Putin was "unacceptable and inadmissible".
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
Russia and Syria claimed most of the missiles, numbering about 110, were intercepted, while the Pentagon said Syrian defences had “no effect” on the operation.
Mr Assad, backed also by Iran, said on Saturday the bombings would increase his country’s resolve to “fight and crush terrorism”.
Ms May said she had authorised British forces to conduct precision strikes against Syria to help degrade its chemical weapons capability.
“This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change,” Ms May said in a statement. “It is about a limited and targeted strike that does not further escalate tensions in the region and that does everything possible to prevent civilian casualties.”
RAF Tornado jets bombed a chemical weapons facility 15 miles outside Homs, the Ministry of Defence said.
Russia warned of “consequences” for the US-led military strikes, saying the use of missiles on suspected chemical weapons assets were an insult to Vladimir Putin.
“A pre-designed scenario is being implemented,” Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov said in a statement. “Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences.”
Earlier, Russia’s military claimed to have evidence that Britain had “direct involvement” in staging the suspected chemical attack in Syria, a charge quickly condemned as “grotesque” by the UK.
Humanitarian volunteers were “seriously pressured” by the UK to speed up plans for a “provocation” in eastern Ghouta, Moscow’s defence ministry suggested.
Britain’s ambassador to the UN condemned the “blatant lie” as “the worst piece of fake news we’ve yet seen from the Russian propaganda machine”.
Later, a spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: “These accusations from Moscow are just the latest in a number of ludicrous allegations from Russia, who have also said that no attack ever happened.
“This simply shows their desperation to pin the blame on anyone but their client: the [President Bashar] Assad regime
It comes as Russia and the United States traded fresh blows during the latest round of talks at the UN Security Council and amid warnings that the world is at risk of “full-blown military escalation”.
The State Department said the United States has proof at “a very high level of confidence” that the Syrian government of Mr Assad carried out the attack but is still working to identify the mix of chemicals used.
“Syria is responsible. We are all in agreement,” department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.
Additional reporting by agencies
Russia's ambassador to the UN has said the US-led strikes on Syria have threatened the UN's attempts to broker a political solution to the conflict.
The UK's representative at the Security Council is now setting out the government's legal case.
Karen Pierce says the body has met 113 times during the Syrian war.
Ms Pierce said: "The Syrian regime and its supporters are responsible for the gravest violations of international and humanitarian law in modern history.
"They have used indiscriminate weapons, notably barrel bombs and cluster munitions, against civilians and they have deliberately targeted medical facilities and schools, as well as humanitarian personnel and civilian objects.
"They have used sieges and starvation as methods of warfare accompanied by attacks on opposition-held civilian areas."
Bashar al-Assad's government has "persistently disrupted humanitarian aid and medical evacuations", she added.
"Repeated attempts over several years to hold them to account have been met with Russian obstruction and resistance," she said.
A few minutes ago, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said her country was "locked and loaded" if Mr Assad uses chemical weapons again.
"In the United Kingdom's view it cannot be illegal to use force to prevent the killing of such numbers of innocent people", Ms Pierce has said.
Earlier Downing Street released its legal reasoning, following pressure from Jeremy Corbyn, and said its intervention had been for humanitarian reasons. A limited use of force was needed to save lives, the document said.
The US, France and the UK will continue to seek a diplomatic solution, Ms Pierce added, which she said must include four elements:
- Syria's chemical weapons must be destroyed and their creation halted
- The immediate "cessation of hostilities" and compliance with UN Security Council resolutions
- Mr Assad's government must return to talks in Geneva on a "substantive" basis
- "There must be accountability for the use of chemical weapons and other war crimes"
The Security Council should use an upcoming retreat in Sweden to consider its next steps, she said, ending her address.
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has said that he was briefed by the UK, France and the US and he had "no reason to doubt" the intelligence.
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Stoltenberg said: "Before the strikes took place last night, Nato allies exhausted all other possible ways to address this issue through the UN Security Council by diplomatic and political means.
"Since this was blocked by Russia there was no other alternative than to react the way they reacted at this time.
"Compared to the alternative of doing nothing, this was the right thing to do."
Theresa May, Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron have agreed that the military strikes in Syria were “a success'' during separate telephone conversations this afternoon, Downing Street says.
The Prime Minister has welcomed the “public support” given by fellow world leaders, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Here is our story about how world leaders responded to the air strikes last night.
A range of global leaders have responded to the US-led coalition air strikes in Syria that were orchestrated by the US, Britain and France in the early hours of Saturday morning. The offensive was staged in response to last week’s chemical attack in Douma, Syria, which is believed to have killed at least 75 people.
The UN Security Council rejects Russia's draft resolution condemning "aggression" against Syria by the US and its allies.
Eight countries voted against the draft resolution, four abstained and three voted in favour (Russia, China and Bolivia).
The draft resolution called the action a violation of international law and the UN charter.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments