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US Secretary of State John Kerry has signalled
his country’s intent to act on Syria, describing the use of chemical weapons
as a “moral obscenity” and pinning the Syrian government down as
the culprit.
In a strongly worded and emotive statement on
Monday, Kerry said that it was “undeniable” that chemical weapons
killed hundreds of people last Wednesday near Damascus, adding that the
Syrian government must be held accountable.
The statement came hours after a United Nations
team visiting Syria was fired upon while they travelled to the attack site to
begin investigations.
“By any standard it’s inexcusable … It’s
undeniable. This is about indiscriminate use of weapons that the world
decided must never be used,” Kerry said.
“The meaning of this attack goes beyond the
conflict in Syria itself. And that conflict has already brought so much
terrible suffering. This is about the large-scale indiscriminate use of
weapons that the civilised world long ago decided must never be used at all,
a conviction shared even by countries that agree on little else.
“Anyone who could claim fabrication should
check their moral compass,” he said in reference to Syrian government’s
denials of any responsibility for the attack. “We know the regime has the
capacity to do this.”
He said that the belated response to allow UN
inspections was “too late, and too late to be credible”.
According to US law, President Barack Obama has
the authority to launch air strikes against Syria, but he has to notify
Congress first – a process which has begun, according to both sides.
“The administration is actively consulting
with members of Congress, and we will continue to have these conversations in
the days ahead,” Kerry said in his statement on Syria.
The Republican speaker of the House Of
Representatives, John Boehner, has had “preliminary communication with
the White House about the situation in Syria and any potential US
response,” his spokesman, Brendan Buck, said.
“The speaker made clear that before any
action is taken there must be meaningful consultation with members of
Congress, as well as clearly defined objectives and a broader strategy to
achieve stability,” Buck said.
Warplanes in Cyprus
Kerry did not say what action the US
administration would take, but said that Obama would be making an
“informed decision about how to respond”.
“He believes there must be
accountability,” Kerry said.
Meanwhile, warplanes and military transporters
have been seen arriving at Britain’s Akrotiri airbase on Cyprus, less than
160km from Syria’s coastline, according to a report on the website of Britain’s
Guardian newspaper.
Two commercial pilots who fly from the city of
Larnaca, near the base, told the Guardian they had seen C-130
transport planes from their cockpit windows and small formations of fighter
jets on their radar screens, which they told the newspaper they believed had
flown from Europe.
Residents also reported to the newspaper that
there had been more activity around the base than usual. If Western powers
were to launch attacks on Syria, Cyprus would likely be central to any air
campaign.
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