Syria: Cameron Still Wants 'Robust Response'

David Cameron has vowed to keep pushing for a "robust response" against the Syrian regime despite his crushing Commons defeat.

The Prime Minister said it was a "regret" that he had been unable to rally support for military action in Syria after last week's chemical attack in Damascus.

But he promised to respect the will of Parliament and confirmed the involvement of UK troops was completely off the table because of MPs' strong opposition.

"I think it's important we have a robust response to the use of chemical weapons and there are a series of things we will continue to do," Mr Cameron said.

"We will continue to take a case to the United Nations, we will continue to work in all the organisations we are members of - whether the EU, or Nato, or the G8 or the G20 - to condemn what's happened in Syria.

"It's important we uphold the international taboo on the use of chemical weapons."

Explaining his decision to oppose the Government's motion, Labour leader Ed Miliband told Sky News: "What I wasn't willing to do was have a rush to war, a rush to conflict without clearly going through the right processes.

"Why is this important? because if you're going to engage in conflict you got to make sure it's done on a legitimate basis. We don't have to look far back in our history to understand that," he added.

"Iraq happened under my party. I'm determined we learn the lessons of Iraq."

UN inspectors in Syria are wrapping up their investigation

Nick Clegg said in a letter to LibDems that there are "no easy answers" in the debate, and that the Government "will continue to work actively to build the diplomatic chances for peace".

In Washington, President Barack Obama has been meeting with his national security team to discuss the crisis,  US officials have also released intelligence on the chemical attack.

The intelligence report blamed Syria's government for the attack with "high confidence" and said it was "highly unlikely" the outrage was a ruse plotted by rebels, as the regime has claimed.

The report said that 1,429 people were killed in the atrocity including 426 children, adding the assessment was based on "multiple" streams of intelligence.

Amid some concern that the Commons vote might strain relations with the US, Mr Cameron spoke to Mr Obama, who said said he respected why the PM went to Parliament.

Earlier, the White House had insisted Britain remained "one of our closest allies and friends" and promised the US would continue to communicate with No10 over Syria.

Asked about the relationship with the US, Mr Miliband said: "Should the British government take its own view about what is right? The answer is yes. Will that sometimes involve disagreeing with the United States? Yes, quite conceivably."

As UN inspectors finished their investigation into the alleged chemical attack, some nations voiced support for a military action.

The Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said intelligence gathered in Ankara left "no doubt" that the Assad regime was responsible for the chemical attack. Turkey has said it would be ready to take part in any international action against Syria.

Syrian leader Bashar Assad remains defiant

French president Francois Hollande also made clear he would be ready to go ahead without Britain as he insisted all options are still on the table.

Stressing the need for "proportional and firm action", he said: "The chemical massacre of Damascus cannot and must not remain unpunished."

However, Vladimir Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov is reported to have said: "We wouldn't want, of course, for the situation to be getting close to when one country or a group of countries would indict, judge and execute a sentence all on its own accord."

In London, former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown suggested Mr Cameron had been left "broken-backed" by the Commons defeat and Britain was reduced as a country.

He told Sky News: "I fear as I wake up this morning that our country is a hugely, hugely diminished country.

"In more than 50 years of trying to serve my country in one form or another, I don't think I have ever felt more depressed or ashamed."

Chancellor George Osborne also admitted there would be "national soul-searching" about the UK's role on the world stage following the vote.

But Mr Cameron insisted Britain remained "deeply engaged" as he rejected the idea he would have to apologise to Mr Obama for not joining any future coalition.

Highlighting the UK's military power and diplomatic influence, he said: "We have great strengths as a country, we should continue to use those.

"But on this specific issue, because of the huge concerns about this appalling Syrian conflict and people worrying about how we might get sucked into it, on that specific issue that trumped, as it were, the sense of outrage about the chemical weapons.

David Cameron said he didn't feel he needed to apologise to Barack Obama

"I understand that, I get that."

The Prime Minister recalled Parliament for an emergency debate and vote following the atrocity in Damascus, where more than 1,300 people are believed to have died.

Urging MPs to support possible military action against Bashar al Assad regime, he called the massacre "abhorrent" and the cause of "sickening human suffering".

Mr Cameron admitted it was not possible to be 100% certain the Assad regime was behind the attack in Damascus but said he had been convinced by the evidence available.

But he was left humiliated when 39 Tory rebels and nine Liberal Democrats joined with Labour to oppose the Government and won by 285 votes to 272.

The Prime Minister had already been forced to water down his position by Labour and promise direct British involvement would require a second vote.

Education Secretary Michael Gove was heard shouting "disgrace, you're a disgrace" at coalition rebels after the result was announced.

The Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Angus Robertson told Sky News he watched as the minister had to be "persuaded to calm down".

Mr Osborne insisted it was a testament to Mr Cameron that he had gone to Parliament to ask for its consent, rather than pushing ahead.

One of the Tory rebels, former minister Crispin Blunt, also brushed off the impact on the Prime Minister's reputation as a "temporary blip".

"He has done a huge amount to repair the reputation of the institution of Parliament, having learned the lessons from Tony Blair and the experience of 2003 and Iraq," he said.

"He exposed himself to the potential for defeat last night because of the way he manages Parliament. That is to his eternal credit."

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US: 'Syrian Regime Planned Attack For Days'

Syria: US Report On Gas Attack

Updated: 8:13pm UK, Friday 30 August 2013

The US released its assessment of the Syrian government's alleged involvement in the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Damascus. Here is the text.

The United States Government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013. We further assess that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack.

These all-source assessments are based on human, signals, and geospatial intelligence as well as a significant body of open source reporting. Our classified assessments have been shared with the US Congress and key international partners. To protect sources and methods, we cannot publicly release all available intelligence - but what follows is an unclassified summary of the US Intelligence Community's analysis of what took place.

Syrian Government Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21

A large body of independent sources indicates that a chemical weapons attack took place in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.

In addition to US intelligence information, there are accounts from international and Syrian medical personnel; videos; witness accounts; thousands of social media reports from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area; journalist accounts; and reports from highly credible nongovernmental organisations.

A preliminary US government assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed in the chemical weapons attack, including at least 426 children, though this assessment will certainly evolve as we obtain more information.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs on August 21. We assess that the scenario in which the opposition executed the attack on August 21 is highly unlikely.

The body of information used to make this assessment includes intelligence pertaining to the regime's preparations for this attack and its means of delivery, multiple streams of intelligence about the attack itself and its effect, our post-attack observations, and the differences between the capabilities of the regime and the opposition.

Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US Intelligence Community can take short of confirmation. We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.

Background:

The Syrian regime maintains a stockpile of numerous chemical agents, including mustard, sarin, and VX and has thousands of munitions that can be used to deliver chemical warfare agents.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad is the ultimate decision maker for the chemical weapons program and members of the program are carefully vetted to ensure security and loyalty. The Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) - which is subordinate to the Syrian Ministry of Defence - manages Syria's chemical weapons program.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year, including in the Damascus suburbs.

This assessment is based on multiple streams of information including reporting of Syrian officials planning and executing chemical weapons attacks and laboratory analysis of physiological samples obtained from a number of individuals, which revealed exposure to sarin. We assess that the opposition has not used chemical weapons.

The Syrian regime has the types of munitions that we assess were used to carry out the attack on August 21, and has the ability to strike simultaneously in multiple locations. We have seen no indication that the opposition has carried out a large-scale, coordinated rocket and artillery attack like the one that occurred on August 21.

We assess that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons over the last year primarily to gain the upper hand or break a stalemate in areas where it has struggled to seize and hold strategically valuable territory. In this regard, we continue to judge that the Syrian regime views chemical weapons as one of many tools in its arsenal, including air power and ballistic missiles, which they indiscriminately use against the opposition.

The Syrian regime has initiated an effort to rid the Damascus suburbs of opposition forces using the area as a base to stage attacks against regime targets in the capital. The regime has failed to clear dozens of Damascus neighbourhoods of opposition elements, including neighbourhoods targeted on August 21, despite employing nearly all of its conventional weapons systems.

We assess that the regime's frustration with its inability to secure large portions of Damascus may have contributed to its decision to use chemical weapons on August 21.

Preparation:

We have intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel - including personnel assessed to be associated with the SSRC - were preparing chemical munitions prior to the attack. In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack.

Syrian chemical weapons personnel were operating in the Damascus suburb of 'Adra from Sunday, August 18 until early in the morning on Wednesday, August 21 near an area that the regime uses to mix chemical weapons, including sarin. On August 21, a Syrian regime element prepared for a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus area, including through the utilisation of gas masks.

Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons.

The Attack:

Multiple streams of intelligence indicate that the regime executed a rocket and artillery attack against the Damascus suburbs in the early hours of August 21.

Satellite detections corroborate that attacks from a regime-controlled area struck neighbourhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred - including Kafr Batna, Jawbar, 'Ayn Tarma, Darayya, and Mu'addamiyah. This includes the detection of rocket launches from regime controlled territory early in the morning, approximately 90 minutes before the first report of a chemical attack appeared in social media. The lack of flight activity or missile launches also leads us to conclude that the regime used rockets in the attack.

Local social media reports of a chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs began at 2:30 a.m. local time on August 21. Within the next four hours there were thousands of social media reports on this attack from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area. Multiple accounts described chemical-filled rockets impacting opposition-controlled areas.

Three hospitals in the Damascus area received approximately 3,600 patients displaying symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure in less than three hours on the morning of August 21, according to a highly credible international humanitarian organisation.

The reported symptoms, and the epidemiological pattern of events - characterised by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers - were consistent with mass exposure to a nerve agent. We also received reports from international and Syrian medical personnel on the ground.

We have identified one hundred videos attributed to the attack, many of which show large numbers of bodies exhibiting physical signs consistent with, but not unique to, nerve agent exposure. The reported symptoms of victims included unconsciousness, foaming from the nose and mouth, constricted pupils, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing.

Several of the videos show what appear to be numerous fatalities with no visible injuries, which is consistent with death from chemical weapons, and inconsistent with death from small-arms, high-explosive munitions or blister agents. At least 12 locations are portrayed in the publicly available videos, and a sampling of those videos confirmed that some were shot at the general times and locations described in the footage.

We assess the Syrian opposition does not have the capability to fabricate all of the videos, physical symptoms verified by medical personnel and NGOs, and other information associated with this chemical attack.

We have a body of information, including past Syrian practice, that leads us to conclude that regime officials were witting of and directed the attack on August 21. We intercepted communications involving a senior official intimately familiar with the offensive who confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime on August 21 and was concerned with the UN inspectors obtaining evidence.

On the afternoon of August 21, we have intelligence that Syrian chemical weapons personnel were directed to cease operations. At the same time, the regime intensified the artillery barrage targeting many of the neighbourhoods where chemical attacks occurred. In the 24 hour period after the attack, we detected indications of artillery and rocket fire at a rate approximately four times higher than the ten preceding days.

We continued to see indications of sustained shelling in the neighbourhoods up until the morning of August 26.

To conclude, there is a substantial body of information that implicates the Syrian government's responsibility in the chemical weapons attack that took place on August 21. As indicated, there is additional intelligence that remains classified because of sources and methods concerns that is being provided to Congress and international partners.

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Syria: UK Will Not Take Part In Military Action

The UK is not going to be part of any military action in Syria, the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond says.

He spoke after a government motion, calling for a strong humanitarian response which may have included military strikes, was rejected by 272 votes to 285 late on Thursday night.

Commentators said it was the first time a British Prime Minister had lost a vote on war since 1782.

Speaking after the historic defeat, David Cameron said it was clear Parliament "does not want to see British military action" in Syria.

Mr Hammond told BBC's Newsnight programme that Mr Cameron was "disappointed" by the vote.

But he said it was clear "the mood of Parliament is that Britain should not be involved in military action and Britain will not be involved in military action".

He said: "We are now clear that we are not now going to be part of any military action - that probably means we will not be part of any planning or discussion.

"It is certainly going to put a strain on the special relationship. The Americans do understand the parliamentary process that we have to go through.

"They have always understood that in order to be involved in military action we would have to secure the consent of Parliament."

Responding to the vote, White House spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said: "The US will continue to consult with the UK Government - one of our closest allies and friends.

Anti-war protesters outside Parliament during the debate

"As we've said, President Obama's decision making will be guided by what is in the best interests of the US.

"He believes that there are core interests at stake for the US and that countries who violate international norms regarding chemical weapons need to be held accountable."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said UK military action is now "off the agenda" and said MPs had reacted against Mr Cameron's "cavalier and reckless" leadership.

He said the PM had tried to "bypass the United Nations" and there would have been nothing worse for the world than Britain pursuing "ill-thought through action" which lacked international support.

Education Secretary Michael Gove shouted "disgrace, you're a disgrace" at Conservative and Liberal Democrat rebels after the defeat, an MP told Sky News.

The Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Angus Robertson said he watched on as Mr Gove had to be "persuaded to calm down" following the outburst.

Conservative rebel MP Adam Holloway told Sky News: "I feel sorry for David Cameron personally because I know the guy is very sincere on this.

"To me what matters here is not so much the arithmetic of the vote but that it is much less likely now that we won't be intervening in a horrible civil war that is fast becoming a regional conflict. Outrage isn't a strategy."

UN inspectors investigating the attack this week

General Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, described the vote as a "victory for common sense" and said the "drumbeat for war" had dwindled among the British public in recent days.

In the Commons, Mr Miliband called on the PM to confirm he would not use the Royal prerogative to order the UK to be part of military action before another vote.

Mr Cameron replied: "I can give that assurance. Let me say the House has not voted for either motion tonight. I strongly believe in the need for a tough response to the use of chemical weapons."

There were claims that a number of ministers had not taken part in the vote because they were involved in meetings and failed to hear the division bell.

Sky's Adam Boulton said: "It's a major embarrassment (for Mr Cameron). His authority and judgement are going to be called severely into question."

The PM had already been forced to water down his stance - accepting Labour demands that direct British involvement would require a second vote following an investigation by UN weapons inspectors.

A number of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs - who have spoken out regularly against military intervention in Syria - either supported Labour and voted against the Government or did not cast a vote.

It followed rejection for a Labour amendment to the motion which called for military action to be taken only once the UN Security Council had voted in light of a report from weapons inspectors on the ground in Syria.

Mr Cameron had earlier said the "abhorrent" chemical weapons attack in Damascus last week had caused "sickening human suffering" and could not be ignored.

But he stressed his plans should not be compared to the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003, which led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein.

UN weapons experts are escorted to the site of the alleged gas attack

He said: "This is not like Iraq, what we are seeing in Syria is fundamentally different. We are not invading a country. We are not searching for chemical or biological weapons."

He warned "decades of painstaking work" would be undone if there was no international action.

"The global consensus against the use of chemical weapons will be fatally unravelled, a 100-year taboo would be breached," he warned.

The PM admitted there was no "one smoking piece of intelligence" that made it 100% certain the Assad regime was behind the atrocity.

UN weapons inspectors are due to finish their work on Friday and will report directly to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon within 24 hours.

But their conclusions will not apportion blame - they will only set out the evidence on whether a chemical attack happened or not.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad  issued a fresh warning on Thursday that the country would "defend itself in the face of any aggression".

Permanent members of the UN Security Council - the UK, America, France, Russia and China - met for an hour to discuss the situation.

The UK has tabled a draft resolution seeking approval for military action.

But Moscow, a key ally of Assad, is opposed to any military intervention and with China has vetoed all previous attempts to secure resolutions critical of the regime.

Reports suggested Russia is sending warships to the Mediterranean.

Six British RAF Typhoon jets were earlier sent to Cyprus as tensions mount, in what the Ministry of Defence called a "prudent and precautionary measure".

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Syria Crisis: US May Act Without Allied Support

Syria: Russia 'To Send Ships To Mediterranean'

Updated: 9:08pm UK, Thursday 29 August 2013

Russia and the US have sent further warships to boost their military capacity in the Mediterannean as expectations grow of an imminent strike on Syria.

Syria's ally Russia is sending an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the Mediterranean, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

An armed forces source reportedly said the planned deployment was in response to the "well-known situation" - a clear reference to the conflict in Syria.

The navy has denied the deployment is linked to events in Syria, saying it is part of a planned rotation of its ships in the Mediterranean.

In the US, a defence official has said a fifth destroyer, the USS Stout,  has been deployed to the Mediterranean and is "heading and moving east".

The guided missile destroyer is due to relieve the Mahan, but both ships might remain in place for the time being, the official said.

Other destroyers in the region - the Ramage, the Barry and the Gravely - criss-cross the Mediterranean and could launch their Tomahawk missiles toward Syria if so directed by US President Barack Obama.

As military action inched closer, Syrian President Bashar al Assad's forces removed several Scud missiles and dozens of launchers from a base north of Damascus, possibly to protect them from bombardment, opposition sources claimed.

The White House said it is on track to release an unclassified intelligence report on Syria this week, although the information is not a "slam-dunk" that will make an open and shut case for military action.

A spokesman added that what the US is contemplating in terms of its response is "very discrete and limited".

Russia and the US have taken part in an "urgent" meeting of the five permanent UN Security Council members in New York - the second such meeting in two days.

Russia is strongly against any military intervention in Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believing it would seriously destabilise the region.

Mr Lavrov has said any attack without UN Security Council approval would be a "crude violation" of international law.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has spoken to German leader Angela Merkel by phone, with the pair agreeing the Syrian conflict can be solved politically, the chancellor's spokesman said.

"The chancellor called on the Russian president to use negotiations in the UN Security Council for a quick, unanimous international reaction," he added.

Public opinion in Germany is overwhelmingly against military action in Syria, less than four weeks before an election in which Mrs Merkel hopes to win a third term.

The warship reports come after US President Barack Obama said the US had studied evidence and concluded that the Syrian government was behind the alleged attack.

Mr Obama said any strike would be to "send a shot across the bow" and give a "pretty strong signal that [Syria] better not do it again".

He added the US had not yet made a firm decision about how to respond, but that it could take action even without the backing of allies or the United Nations.

The president's national security adviser Susan Rice, intelligence director James Clapper, defence secretary Chuck Hagel and secretary of state John Kerry are to brief Congress on Syria later, according to Reuters.

Questions are said to remain about who actually controls some of Syria's chemical weapons and whether President Assad himself explicitly ordered the alleged attack.

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta told state radio that his country condemned the Assad regime but would not join any military operation without UN Security Council authorisation.

The Syrian leader was shown meeting Yemeni politicians on state television on Thursday.

It quoted President Assad as saying the country would defend itself in the face of any aggression.

A draft resolution by the UK on authorising a strike failed to win the approval of the UN Security Council on Wednesday as Russia reiterated its objections.

China has also entered the discussion and warned the West against any military action. 

"China calls on all parties to exercise restraint and remain calm and to remain committed to the correct track of political solutions," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

British involvement in any strike will be debated today by politicians in the House of Commons.

Meanwhile, United Nations weapons inspectors set out on Thursday morning for the Damascus suburbs in a third day of investigations.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pleaded for all sides to hold off on any military strikes.

He said his inspection team would soon finish its investigation, leaving Syria on Friday and reporting their findings to him the following day.

Samples they have collected will go to labs around Europe for testing, AP reported.

Last week's alleged chemical attack is claimed to have killed 1,300 people.

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Syria Vote Will Not Permit UK Military Action

Direct British military involvement in Syria will not be authorised in Thursday's House of Commons vote, after Labour threatened to oppose the Government's motion.

Any direct action by UK forces will require a further vote in the Commons once the United Nations has considered a report from weapons inspectors investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Damascus.

But the motion will ask MPs to agree the principle that a "strong humanitarian response" is required from the international community and "this may, if necessary, require military action that is legal, proportionate and focused on saving lives by preventing and deterring further use of Syria's chemical weapons".

Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig said: "This motion looks very bland, very uncontroversial.

"(Prime Minister David Cameron) has put off a decision really and that will be seen as a climbdown."

Labour had said it would oppose the Government's motion on Syria unless it insisted on waiting for UN inspectors' report.

David Cameron cut short his holiday to return for the talks

It tabled an amendment outlining conditions it said should be met before any intervention to deter the further use of chemical weapons, after last week's attack that allegedly killed more than 1,300.

It demanded "compelling evidence that the Syrian regime was responsible for the use of these weapons", that action would be legal in international law and that the Parliament can vote on UK participation.

A Labour source said: "We cannot give the PM a blank cheque. We should see the UN evidence before making a decision. This conflict has been going on for two and a half years. If it takes another two and a half days we will do so."

In New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also told the British Government that the United Nations Security Council should not consider a draft resolution before inspectors reported their findings there, saying it was necessary "to wait for the results"

US President Barack Obama said he had not made a decision on Syria and that American engagement in a civil war in the country would not help.

But he said the US had "concluded" that the Syrian government had carried out the chemical attack, while a State Department spokeswoman said the US would respond even in the absence of UN backing.

A UN weapons inspector visits wounded Syrians after the alleged gas attack

Marie Harf said: "We cannot be held up in responding by Russia's intransigence - continued intransigence - at the United Nations. The situation is so serious that it demands a response."

Earlier Foreign Secretary William Hague had said the UK may act whether or not a consensus was reached by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

"We believe that it's time the United Nations Security Council shouldered its responsibilities on Syria, which for the last two and a half years it has failed to do," he said.

"We have to confront something that is a crime against humanity. If we don't do so we will have to confront even bigger war crimes in the future."

Mr Hague said "all the evidence" pointed to Bashar al Assad's regime being behind the chemical weapon attack.

But he later said the motion eventually put forward "reflects the deep concerns in this country about what happened in Iraq" and stressed the Government's desire for a "consensual" approach.

Syria's deputy foreign minister claimed Britain, the US and France helped "terrorists" use chemical weapons in Damascus.

"The terrorist groups are the ones who used them with American, British and French encouragement. This encouragement should stop," said Faisal Al-Miqdad.

More than 1,300 are said to have died as the result of the alleged attack

But the US is reportedly certain the poison gas attack in Syria was carried out by the Assad-regime after listening to intercepted telephone calls.

Intelligence officers allegedly overheard panicked conversations in which a Syrian defence official demanded an explanation for the attack from a leader of a chemical weapons unit.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had urged all sides to prioritise a diplomatic solution and said his team needs until Sunday to establish the full facts of the alleged chemical attack.

UN weapons inspectors visited at the site of the alleged attacks again on Wednesday morning, a day after suspending their mission over safety concerns.

The inspectors came under sniper fire when they began their operation on Monday.

This afternoon's NSC meeting discussed intelligence gathered by UN inspectors from their initial visit to Mouadamiya.

General Sir Nick Houghton, chief of the defence staff, was also expected to outline a series of options for targeted attacks.

It is understood the most likely military response would be a strike launched from US Navy warships, several of which have been repositioned in the eastern Mediterranean, against targets such as command and control bunkers.

A child is treated after the alleged chemcial attack

But defence analyst Francis Tusa told Sky News: "I'm not necessarily sure it puts any particular pressure on the regime to change its behaviour. Losing the odd bit of hardware that the Russians will replace for free doesn't seem to be that much of value."

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded to the rising tensions, reportedly saying that US military intervention would be "a disaster for the region".

"The region is like a gunpowder store and the future cannot be predicted," Iran's ISNA agency quoted him as saying.

Turkey and Iraq both say they have placed their military on high alert.

Nato has given its support for tough action against Syria, "condemning in the strongest possible terms these outrageous attacks" and saying "those responsible must be held accountable".

But hundreds of protesters, carrying banners and chanting slogans such as "Hands off Syria" and "Cut War Not Welfare", gathered outside Downing Street to oppose any Western intervention in Syria.

While political momentum towards intervention mounts, the British public has yet to be persuaded.

A YouGov survey for The Sun revealed that nearly three-quarters of people oppose the deployment of British troops to Syria.

And a majority of 3-1 believe the Government should be bound by Parliament's vote.

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Obama: Syria Strike Would Be 'Shot Across Bow'

Barack Obama has said any strike against Syria would be to "send a shot across the bow" to deter future chemical weapons attacks.

President Obama said the US had concluded that the Syrian government carried out the large-scale chemical weapons attack against civilians last week.

He said the US had examined evidence and did not believe the rebels possessed chemical weapons or the means to deliver them. 

But he added that the US had not yet made a firm decision about how to respond.

"If we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, stop doing this, this can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term," the President said in a televised interview.

Mr Obama says he is convinced the Assad regime is behind the gas attack

President Obama was asked what would be the strategic rationale behind a US attack, given its potentially limited scope.

He replied that by the end of the engagement, the Syrian government "will have received a pretty strong signal that it better not do it again".

Earlier, the Obama administration said it would take action against the Syrian government even without the backing of allies or the United Nations.

It said diplomatic paralysis - because of "Russia's intransigence" - must not prevent a response to the alleged attack outside the Syrian capital Damascus last week.

"The situation is so serious that it demands a response," the spokeswoman said.

The UN says it needs extra time to analyse tests taken in Damascus

The US says intelligence services had intercepted lower-level Syrian military commanders' communications discussing the chemical attack.

However, the communications don't specifically link the attack to an official senior enough to tie the killings to Assad himself, according to three intelligence officials.

Britain added a hurdle to deliberations when it went to the UN Security Council with a draft resolution that would authorise the use of military force against Syria.

The draft seemed doomed before it was proposed.

As expected, the five permanent members of the security council failed to reach an agreement as Russia reiterated its objections to international intervention.

Russia, along with China, has blocked past attempts to sanction the Assad government.

Russia's Sergei Lavrov has warned against action without UN sanction

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the use of force without a sanction of the UN Security Council would be a "crude violation" of international law.

David Cameron has called an emergency meeting of the British Parliament on Thursday to vote on whether to endorse international action against Syria.

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Hackers: Pro-Assad Group Targets US Websites

Pro-Assad regime hackers claim to have targeted leading US media websites, shutting down the New York Times for 30 minutes.

The Syrian Electronic Army said it had hacked sites belonging to Twitter and the Huffington Post, making them unstable, as well as closing down the NYT.

The NYT attributed the meltdown to a "malicious external attack".

When users attempted to visit www.nytimes.com, the only message that appeared was "Hacked by the SEA".

Meanwhile, Twitter spokesman Jim Prosser confirmed that site technicians were "looking into claims" it had been hacked by the SEA.

The SEA boasted in a tweet: "Hi @Twitter, look at your domain, its owned by #SEA :)"  

The boasting tweet from the SEA hacking group

While the Twitter site continued to function as normal, the SEA claimed to have changed domain details, redirecting social media traffic to its own server.

The shadowy hacker collective has also claimed to have changed domain details belonging to the Huffington Post news site.

The latest attacks come weeks after the Twitter feed of the Associated Press news agency was targeted.

The feed falsely reported that Barack Obama was injured in an attack on the White House.

The Washington Post website was also hacked this month in an attack blamed on the same group.

The SEA infiltrates organisations it perceives to be aligned against the Assad government.

The string of cyber attacks comes as US leaders have publicly discussed the possibility of launching an attack against the Assad government.

The potential for military action comes amid claims Mr Assad deployed chemical weapons on the Syrian people, two years into the nation's civil war.

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Syria: Cameron In Talks With Obama Over Action

Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken about Syria with Barack Obama by telephone as Britain and the US consider military action.

The two leaders agreed to stay in "close consultation" in the coming days as Mr Cameron prepared for a meeting of the National Security Council meeting today.

The Prime Minister has said any action in Syria would be to deter the future use of chemical weapons as he blamed a suspected poison gas attack on the Assad regime.

Mr Cameron said the scenes of death and suffering in Damascus were "appalling" and "we cannot let that stand".

Britain's Armed Forces are drawing up plans for a potential military intervention in response to the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian capital, which is believed to have killed hundreds of civilians.

David Cameron says the Syrian attack was "appalling"

Mr Cameron said any intervention had to be legal and proportionate and would not be about the Syrian conflict itself but preventing the use of chemical weapons by any regime.

And he stressed no decisions about UK involvement have been made.

He said: "Let me stress to people, this is not about getting involved in a Middle Eastern war or changing our stance in Syria, or going further into that conflict. It's about chemical weapons. Their use is wrong and the world should not stand idly by."

Parliament is being recalled and Mr Cameron, who is back in London after cutting short his family holiday, said a clear motion on the crisis would be put before MPs on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Britain will not engage in an "open-ended military" conflict and "we're not considering regime change".

One of Britain's bases, RAF Akrotiri, is in southern Cyprus

Foreign Secretary William Hague has declined to rule out action, such as targeted air strikes, being launched within days, and the PM is under pressure to be able to legally justify any intervention.

He spoke to US President Barack Obama on Tuesday night but a Downing Street spokeswoman said there would be no decision on what action to take ahead of a National Security Council meeting Mr Cameron will hold on Wednesday.

A build-up of military aircraft at Britain's base on Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, suggested that planning had reached a developed stage.

But a YouGov poll for the Sun newspaper claimed 50% of people questioned said they opposed a military strike against Syria, with only 25% in favour.

It comes as the US defence secretary Chuck Hagel said his country was "ready to go" if Mr Obama orders action.

Chuck Hagel says the US is "ready to go"

Mr Hagel said the president asked the Pentagon to give him "all options for all contingencies".

"We are prepared. We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfil and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," he told the BBC.

US Vice-President Joe Biden said there was no question that Syria's President Bashar Assad was responsible for the attack - the highest-ranking US official to say so.

And the White House dismissed as "fanciful" the notion that anyone other than Mr Assad could be to blame.

"Suggestions that there's any doubt about who's responsible for this are as preposterous as a suggestion that the attack did not occur," spokesman Jay Carney said.

He also said the options the White House was considering were not about regime change.

Walid Muallem has vowed the regime will defend itself

Rebels in Syria have handed Western powers a list of suggested targets for a strike, according to a Reuters source.

France's President Francois Hollande said his country was prepared to "punish" those who gassed innocent people last Wednesday and it seemed certain that forces loyal to Mr Assad were behind the attack.

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said any potential action "would be a punch on the nose for the Assad regime. I don't think the US is ready for Assad to go because they are frightened of who would take his place."

But Syria insists it will not submit quietly to an attack.

"We have two options: either to surrender, or to defend ourselves with the means at our disposal. The second choice is the best: we will defend ourselves," said Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem.

He also claimed Tuesday's UN inspections of alleged chemical attack sites had to be scrapped because of disputes between rebels.

Snipers shot at UN inspectors on Monday

Snipers shot at the UN team on Monday, but the inspectors still managed to collect some "valuable" samples. The UN inspections will take place on Wednesday instead, Mr Muallem said.

Syria denies using the chemical weapons and Russia - which supplies arms to Syria and is the regime's most powerful ally - has backed claims that video footage of victims could be opposition propaganda.

"I challenge those who accuse our forces of using these weapons to come forward with the evidence," Mr Muallem said.

The Arab League has accused the Syrian regime of carrying out the suspected gas attack and Saudi Arabia has called for "firm and serious" action against the state.

But Moscow has warned that any use of force against Syria would have "catastrophic consequences".

"We call on our American colleagues and all members of the international community to show prudence, strict observance of international law, and above all, the fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the Russian foreign ministry said.

And deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin claimed western countries were behaving in the Islamic world like a "monkey with a grenade".

It is unclear whether Mr Obama would seek authority from the UN or Congress before using force. But it is likely Russia and China would block US efforts to authorise action through the UN Security Council.

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Syria: UN Inspectors Find 'Valuable Evidence'

Chemical weapons experts have gathered "valuable" evidence on a suspected chemical weapons attack near Damascus despite coming under sniper fire, UN officials said.

The attack came as David Cameron spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid increasing calls for international action over the alleged massacre. The Prime Minister has cut short his holiday and is expected to make a decision about recalling Parliament tomorrow.

The UN inspection team's lead vehicle was "deliberately shot at multiple times" as they left a government checkpoint during a visit to part of the Syrian capital where hundreds of people were reportedly killed, Martin Nesirky told Sky News.

None of the UN inspectors, who were dressed in body armour, was injured in the attack, which came after two mortar bombs landed close to their hotel. The vehicle's tyres and front window were damaged.

After the shooting, the UN inspectors were able to change vehicles and meet victims of the alleged chemical attack, taking samples for testing before returning to their hotel in Damascus.

The UN's Angela Kane leaves the inspectors' hotel in Damascus

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon did not blame either side for the convoy attack but said he had told his disarmament chief Angela Kane to make a "strong complaint" to the Syrian government.

His spokesman Farhan Haq said in New York: "It was a very productive day and once (the team) has made its evaluations it does intend to continue its work tomorrow."

The team, led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, is "already gathering valuable evidence," he added.

The Assad regime said the inspections in Zamalka and Ein Tarma districts will prove allegations that chemical weapons were used against civilians, including children, were "lies".

But US Secretary Of State John Kerry said chemical weapons had been used and accused President Assad of destroying evidence.

Mr Kerry said the use of chemical weapons was "real and compelling" and that the US and its allies were compiling "additional information" on the suspected attacks.

UN inspectors speak to medics shortly after their convoy was attacked

He said: "For five days the Syrian regime refused to allow the UN investigators access to the site of the attack that would allegedly exonerate them."

"Instead it attacked the area further, shelling it and systematically destroying evidence. That is not the behaviour of a government that has nothing to hide."

White House spokesman Jay Carney added that there was "very little doubt" in the Obama administration's mind that the Syrian government was responsible for using chemical weapons.

The Syrian opposition claims up to 1,300 people were killed, while Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in hospital from "neurotoxic" symptoms.

Mr Ban said the people of Syria deserved to know the truth, adding: "We cannot allow impunity in what appears to be a grave crime against humanity."

The international community continues to consider its response to the crisis, with Foreign Secretary William Hague warning military action may be the only remaining option.

Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in the alleged attack

Mr Cameron will chair of a meeting of the UK's National Security Committee on Wednesday after discussing the crisis with President Putin by telephone, Downing Street confirmed.

Mr Putin disagreed with Mr Cameron's assertion that there was "little doubt" the attack was carried out by the Syrian regime, according to a spokesman.

Meanwhile, French politicians are preparing to meet "in the coming days" to decide whether to respond with force, according to the country's foreign minister Laurent Fabius.

There is mounting speculation that France, together with Britain and the US, could back limited airstrikes to demonstrate that deployment of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

However, Mr Assad said military intervention by the US would fail.

"Failure awaits the United States as in all previous wars it has unleashed," the Syrian president said in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Bashar al Assad denied his regime had used chemical weapons

Describing the chemical weapons accusations as "nonsense", Mr Assad added: "Would any state use chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction in a place where its own forces are concentrated? That would go against elementary logic.

"Accusations of this kind are entirely political and the reason for them is the government forces' series of victories over the terrorists."

Mr Assad received backing from two of his main allies, with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warning that the use of force without a UN mandate would violate international law.

Urging the West not to go down a "dangerous path", he said: "If anybody thinks that bombing and destroying the Syrian military infrastructure, and leaving the battlefield for the opponents of the regime to win, would end everything - that is an illusion."

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed countries outside the Middle East for the turmoil and said states in the region backing the Syrian opposition would be damaged by the conflict.

"The main reason behind the status quo in the region is interference from outside the region," the state news agency Fars quoted Khamenei as saying in a meeting with Oman's Sultan Qaboos.

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British Boy Drowns In Spain Pool Tragedy

A three-year-old British boy has died after falling into a swimming pool during a family holiday in Spain.

Relatives reportedly tried to save the youngster after they discovered him floating in the water at his grandparents' home in Cartama, near Malaga.

But the child is said to have died in a car before he could reach hospital on the Costa del Sol.

His death came on what has been dubbed Spain's "Black Sunday" after another two people reportedly drowned in the sea.

The boy died in Cartama, which is around 16 miles from Malaga

Around 60 minutes after the boy's death, a 50-year-old man was found floating in the sea off the coast of Torrox.

And earlier in the day on the Costa Azahar a Romanian woman aged 46 drowned off the coast of Castellon.

The Foreign Office said officials were supporting the British child's family in Spain.

A spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in the Malaga region of Spain.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this sad time."

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Syria Allows UN Visit To 'Chemical Attack' Site

Has Assad Called America's Bluff?

Updated: 9:06pm UK, Sunday 25 August 2013

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Five days on, in what many believe it is now a pointless exercise, weapons inspectors will visit north east Damascus to try to establish what happened and who did it.

In the districts of Jobar and Zamalka they'll find a wasteland from intense fighting, but the explosions that turned suburbs to rubble are bizarrely irrelevant.

Wednesday's mass killer is unseen.

Evidence of sarin gas may have evaporated almost as quickly as it apparently suffocated men women and children, killing at least 100 people and possibly more than 1,000 according to rebel accounts.

Damascus is now offering a ceasefire in the area and will facilitate UN inspectors' access to the site and decide for themselves, but is President Bashar Assad simply calling President Barack Obama's bluff?

He knows the West has passively watched his civil war evolve over more than two years.

They stood by as he pounded towns and cities in a war that has cost more than 100,000 lives and caused more than a million children refugees.

If President Obama wanted to act why, in his interview with CNN on Friday, did he make no reference the "Red Line" that the use of chemical weapons supposedly crossed?

When the West suddenly became impatient at having their weapons inspectors stalled in a hotel, Mr Assad probably decided it was still a safe bet to keep them waiting.

From Mr Assad's viewpoint, if the US and its allies don't have the stomach to get involved, then a delay in finding conclusive evidence means there's nothing to force their hands.

Syria has bought itself five days to cover up the evidence and allegedly has tried to do so by pounding the area of the alleged attack.

Even if inspectors do find toxins on the site, the regime has spent the weekend providing an alternative scenario for who they belonged to.

State TV has shown journalists a stash of chemicals in underground rooms in the Damascus suburb of Jobar which they say belonged to the rebels.

Reporters also met a handful of government soldiers in hospital beds who claimed to be victims of a chemical attack.

It could all be pantomime but Russia, at least, is singing along.

The Russian foreign ministry drew parallels with Washington's 2003 intervention in Iraq following their accusations that Saddam Hussein's government possessed weapons of mass destruction.

The ministry said: "We once again decisively urge (the United States) not to repeat the mistakes of the past and not to allow actions that go against international law."

A US Official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "If the Syrian government had nothing to hide and wanted to prove to the world that it had not used chemical weapons in this incident, it would have ceased its attacks on the area and granted immediate access to the UN five days ago."

Evidence may still be found, according to Toxicologist Alastair Hay.

He told Sky News: "The inspectors need to get as close as possible to the point of detonation. Here they may find evidence in soil samples. The most important thing is to find human tissue."

The inspectors have a sombre and difficult task ahead - but the options facing Western leaders are equally grim.

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Ex-Army Officer With Royals Link Killed In Kenya

A retired British Army officer who ran a game reserve where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were guests has been killed in a botched robbery at his home in Kenya.

Lieutenant Colonel David Parkinson, 58, and his wife Sonja were attacked after a gang of five robbers, armed with machetes and a gun, broke into their house in the Lolldaiga Hills, a wildlife ranch, in the early hours of Sunday.

During the confrontation, Lt Col Parkinson's hand was severely cut and he was fatally wounded, police said.

Local police chief Marius Tum said the intruders entered the couple's bedroom by breaking a glass door using a large stone.

They ordered the couple to hand over money and guns.

"One of the gang members was armed with a pistol, another with a machete while the rest had crude weapons. While one of them was terrorising Mr Parkinson the others tied his wife's hands with ropes," Mr Tum said.

Lt Col Parkinson had been a director of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

However, Mrs Parkinson who had sustained a cut on her back managed to untie herself and escaped to a strong room where she hid herself until the robbers fled.

On returning to the main house she found the body of her husband on the floor, police said.

Mr Tum said a post-mortem examination would be carried out to determine the cause of Mr Parkinson's death.

On Sunday afternoon, a suspect from a nearby village was arrested after police mounted a major manhunt using sniffer dogs.

Lt Col Parkinson, who had a distinguished career in the Army for 30 years, worked as the manager of the Lolldaiga ranch in Laikipia East district since 2008.

Before that he was a director of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya where Prince William spent his gap year helping with various conservation projects before taking up his place at St Andrews University.

It is also where Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010.

The Foreign Office confirmed the death of Lt Col Parkinson.

"We are aware of his death and we stand ready to provide consular assistance to his family at this sad time," a spokesman said.

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Double Shooting: Woman Killed On Birthday

A woman who was killed in a double shooting in north-west London had been out celebrating her 24th birthday with friends.

Police and the ambulance service found the victim, Sabrina Moss, and another woman, also aged 24, with gunshot injuries in Kilburn.

The pair are believed to have been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to detectives.

Officers had been called at 4.12am on Saturday to reports of shots being fired in the street in Kilburn High Road, at the junction with Messina Avenue.

Both women were taken to hospitals and Ms Moss, of Neasden, north-west London, was pronounced dead later. A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course.

Police investigate the double shooting in the capital

Ms Moss, thought to be the mother of one son, was attacked outside Woody Grill.

She was talking to other people when two black males approached, opened fire and then ran off.

The other woman who was shot remains in hospital and her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Tributes to Ms Moss have been left on the social networking site Twitter.

Officers were called to the scene after reports of gunshots

Adjei Adu wrote: "My heart goes out to her family and the lil one she's left behind, sleep well Sabrina Moss."

Leila Hassan tweeted: "My Thoughts Are With Your Family... A Beautiful Young Woman, Mother and Daughter!"

Another tweet read: "Lost the cousin I was close with when I was a child.. R.I.P Sabrina Moss."

A murder inquiry has been launched by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command and police are appealing for witnesses to the double shooting.

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin of the Metropolitan Police said: "Enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances of this tragic incident.

The other woman's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening

"At this early stage, I believe the two women were innocent parties who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the shooting, or who saw anything suspicion in the Kilburn area early this morning, to call police.

"In particular, I need to hear from anyone who saw two males who came into the High Road from Messina Avenue and, after the shooting, made off on foot back along Messina Avenue."

One man has been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Anyone with information that may assist the inquiry should call the incident room at Hendon on 020 8358 0300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Cameron And Obama Condemn 'Chemical Attack'

Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama said they were both "gravely concerned" over an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria.

The two leaders spoke with Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper by telephone on Saturday as calls increase for UN investigators already in the country to be allowed access to the site of the alleged attack.

A Downing Street spokesperson stressed that any significant use of chemical weapons would merit a "serious response".

The spokesperson added: "The fact that President Assad has failed to cooperate with the UN suggests that the regime has something to hide.

Medecins Sans Frontieres has said 355 people died in the attack

"They reiterated that significant use of chemical weapons would merit a serious response from the international community and both have tasked officials to examine all the options.

"They agreed that it is vital that the world upholds the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons and deters further outrages."

Mr Obama met with top aides on his National Security Council as US intelligence continues to gather evidence on the alleged gas attack.

The attacks took place in the Damascus suburbs of Zamalka and Ein Tarma

It comes a day after US military officials revealed a fourth warship, the USS Mahan, was remaining in the Mediterranean region and Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said military options had been presented to Mr Obama.

He is under mounting pressure to act over the alleged use of chemical weapons, which humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said had killed 355 people due to "neurotoxic" symptoms.

The group said victims flooded three Syrian hospitals after a "chemical massacre" on Wednesday.

MSF director of operations Bart Janssens said the reported symptoms "strongly indicate mass exposure to neurotoxic agent".

A boy recovers after the alleged toxic gas attack on Wednesday

He said: "Medical staff working in these facilities provided detailed information to MSF doctors regarding large numbers of patients arriving with symptoms including convulsions, excess saliva, pinpoint pupils, blurred vision and respiratory distress.

"The reported symptoms of the patients, in addition to the epidemiological pattern of the events - characterised by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers - strongly indicate mass exposure to a neurotoxic agent."

Rebel groups have claimed the attack was carried out by Assad's forces and that more than 1,000 people had died. The Syrian regime has denied the allegations.

On Saturday, Iran warned the West against military intervention in Syria and claimed the alleged gas attack was carried out by rebels.

UN disarmament chief Angela Kane has arrived in the capital to press the Assad regime to allow weapon inspectors to assess whether a chemical attack has taken place.

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