The President appears to row back on taking action against Assad, as Russia says it is talking with the US on a “crisis line”.
Key points:
- Washington and Moscow using crisis line as tensions mount
- US considering military action over suspected chemical weapons attack
- Trump says strike “could be very soon or not so soon at all!”
- May chairing ‘war cabinet’ to consider Britain joining military action




































NATO calls for access to site of alleged chemical attack
“We condemn in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
“We call on the Syrian regime and its backers to allow full and unimpeded access to international medical assistance and international monitoring.
“Those responsible must be held accountable.”
Ex-Number 10 adviser argues Britain should take part in military action against Syria
Top Iranian official wants US forces driven out of eastern Syria
“Idlib is an important Syrian city, and we hope it will be liberated very soon,” Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told a news conference in Damascus.
“East of the Euphrates is also a very important area. We hope big steps will be taken in order to liberate this area and expel the occupying Americans.”
Angela Merkel: Whole spectrum of measures should be considered on Syria, Germany will not be joining any military action. It is important to show unity on Syria, it is hard to simply do nothing.
AFP: Syrian rebels say the suspected chemical attack by the Assad regime pushed them to leave Ghouta.
“Of course, the chemical attack is what pushed us to agree” to withdraw from Douma, said Yasser Dalwan, a high-ranking member of the Jaish al-Islam faction that held the town.
Macron tells France’s TF1 television: “We have proof that… chemical weapons were used, at least chlorine, and that they were used by the regime of Bashar al Assad.”
He says France’s response will come at a “time of our choosing”, adding: “We will need to take decisions in due course, when we judge it most useful and effective.”
“Surely the lessons of Iraq, the lessons that came there from the Chilcot Report, are that there’s got to be, there has to be a proper process of consultation,” he said.
“We elect Parliament, we elect Members of Parliament.
“They should have a voice in this. Cabinet on its own should not be making this decision.
“I do urge people to look again at what Chilcott said about the evidence that was presented and the arguments that were presented.
“I want to see the whole picture on this because I want to see peace in Syria.
“I want to see an end to the war in Syria.
“That does mean America and Russia holding back, pulling back and talking to each other.
“The dangers of bombing now, which could escalate the conflict beyond belief. Just imagine the scenario if an American missile shoots down a Russian plane or vice versa. Where do we go from there?
“Surely, if we’ve learned nothing from the last 50 years of Cold War and the proxy wars since then (it is) the dangers of that.”
Foreign minister Heiko Maas (right) says it is important that Western nations “maintain pressure on Russia”.
“If we want to do that, we the Western partners cannot diverge in our approaches,” he said after meeting his Irish counterpart in Dublin.
“We have to harmonise our actions, and if individual countries take a particular action I would expect them to consult the German government,” Mr Maas said.
“It is illusionary to think that you could heighten the pressure on someone without ensuring that the Western community speaks with one voice. I think that is extremely important.”
A spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had spoken with France’s Emmanuel Macron about the suspected gas attack and expressed concern that the international community’s ability to ban chemical weapons was fading.
Syria’s SANA news agency: Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says threats by some Western countries to target Syria are based on lies.
The agency says he made the comments during a meeting with President Assad.
“Could be very soon or not so soon at all! – is Trump rowing back on Syria strikes?
Corbyn: Syria strike would “spawn the war elsewhere”
“I think the whole world should be alarmed at that sort of instant reaction – sending stuff out on social media to make policy,” the Labour leader says.
“What happened in Syria is disgraceful. Any use of chemical weapons by anybody against anybody else is clearly illegal as well as immoral and wrong.
“The United Nations has a duty and a function to ensure there’s a proper investigation undertaken as the inspectors are now in Douma doing just that and, when we’ve got the results of that, decide what action to take.
“But, I would just say this. Hundreds of thousands have died and lost their lives in Syria.
“Millions have been forced into refuge. Many are living in terrible poverty and desperation. There has to be a political solution.
“Russia, America, the European Union, all the neighbouring countries, Iran, Saudia Arabia have got to be involved in ensuring there is a real ceasefire and a political process that does give hope to the people of Syria in the future.
“More bombing, more killing, more war will not save life. It will just take more lives and spawn the war elsewhere.”
Assad warns against Western intervention
Syria’s President says any potential military action would further destabilise the region.
“With every victory achieved on the field, the voices of some Western states are raised and actions are intensified in an attempt by them to change the course of events … these voices and any possible action will contribute nothing but an increase in instability in the region, threatening international peace and security,” Syrian state television quoted him as saying.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hits out at Trump’s rhetoric on Syria, saying: “More bombing, more killing, more war will not save life.”
“We are extremely worried that some countries confident of their military power are turning Syria into a scene for arm wrestling,” he said in a speech in Ankara.
12:53 Key points:
Source: news.sky.com