Syria under cloud of military intervention

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Syria under cloud of military intervention

(Global Times) 13:24, August 28, 2013

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Western powers Tuesday stepped up rhetoric of retaliation against alleged chemical weapon use by the Syrian government, while Russia warned that a military intervention in Syria could have "catastrophic consequences" for the region.

"We'll have more information and more intelligence here very shortly to present," US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Tuesday said during an ongoing tour of Southeast Asia.

After speaking with his British and French counterparts, the Pentagon chief said the US and its allies believed President Bashar al-Assad's regime was behind the deadly chemical weapons attack last week on the outskirts of Damascus, which the opposition claimed killed over 1,300 people last week.

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

Hagel's remarks came after US Secretary of State John Kerry Monday warned Syria it would face action over the "moral obscenity" of the alleged attack.

British Prime Minister David Cameron Tuesday said the speaker had agreed to recall parliament lawmakers from their summer break on Thursday and a vote would be held on a government motion on how to respond to the suspected gas attack.

France will not "shirk its responsibilities" in Syria, a source in the French presidency said Tuesday ahead of a speech by President Francois Hollande on the Syrian crisis.

Meanwhile, Western powers told the Syrian opposition to expect a strike against Assad's forces within days, sources who attended a meeting between envoys and the Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul told Reuters.

"The opposition was told in clear terms that action to deter further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime could come as early as in the next few days, and that they should still prepare for peace talks at Geneva," one of the sources said.

US papers reported Tuesday that US President Barack Obama is considering a strike in Syria of limited scope.

The strike would probably last no more than two days and seek to keep the US out of wider involvement, the Washington Post reported, quoting unnamed senior administration officials.

The New York Times also reported that a military action could involve cruise missiles launched from US vessels in the Mediterranean at Syrian military targets, quoting administration officials.

Li Weijian, director of the Institute of Foreign Policy Studies under the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times that the possibility of Western powers' bypassing the UN Security Council could not be ruled out.

"Western powers are not reconciled [to the current situation in Syria]. They vowed to overthrow Assad's regime over two years ago, but it seems unlikely that the opposition can achieve that goal on their own. So the West may use this opportunity to launch offensives against the regime," said Li.

But the expert also noted that the West does face restraints and concerns over launching military attacks against Syria.

Qu Xing, director of the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that Western countries still have some reservations toward the Syrian opposition groups, as there are extremist and terrorist forces included in the coalition.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem Tuesday told a news conference Damascus would defend itself against any strikes.

Muallem said Syria had capabilities that would "surprise" the world, and warned that any military action against it would serve the interests of Israel and Al Qaeda.

Meanwhile, Russia warned of the "extremely dangerous consequences of a possible new military intervention" and said intervening without a UN Security Council resolution would be illegal.

UN inspectors investigating the suspected gas killings, who braved sniper fire on Monday, have postponed their next site visit until Wednesday, a UN statement said on Tuesday, saying the postponement is in consideration of "safety."

The Arab League Tuesday condemned the "horrible crime carried out with internationally prohibited chemical weapons" and put the "entire responsibility" on Assad's regime at an emergency meeting in Cairo.

Agencies contributed to this story