LONDON: Britain has new evidence that chemical weapons were used in an attack on the Syrian capital Damascus, Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday.
Cameron said scientists at Britain’s Porton Down military research facility had analysed samples taken from an alleged gas attack on a rebel-held Damascus neighbourhood on August 21 and concluded they had tested positive for the sarin nerve agent.
“We have just been looking at some samples taken from Damascus in the Porton Down laboratory in Britain which further shows the use of chemical weapons in that Damascus suburb,” he told BBC TV.
Cameron also said US President Barack Obama was right to press ahead with possible military strikes against Syria as Syrian President Bashar Al Assad had ignored his warnings about using chemical weapons during the country’s civil war.
“I absolutely believe that, having set a red line on the further big use of chemical weapons, it would be wrong if America was to step back and, having set that red line, to do nothing,” he said. “I think that would send an appalling signal to President Assad and also to dictators elsewhere.”
Last week Cameron lost a parliamentary vote backing military action to punish Assad for the reported chemical attack.
REUTERS
