U.S., France, U.K. ready to strike Syria in days

Western powers could attack Syria within
days, envoys from the United States and
its allies have told rebels fighting
President Bashar al-Assad , Reuters news
agency reported Tuesday.
The United States, U.K. and France raised
their rhetoric on Tuesday, repeating their
vow to respond to a chemical weapon
attack in Syria.
Syria blames opposition “terrorists” for
the attack. A United Nations team visited
the site of the attack on Monday and
investigations are ongoing.
The U.S. said on Tuesday that there must
be a response to the attack, and French
president, Francois Holande, said his
country was ready to punish those
responsible for the use of chemical
weapons.
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister,
David Cameron, recalled the parliament
from vacation to discuss adequate
response.
But public opinion remained largely
divided about the planned military action
with many Americans, as British
expressing their doubt the Syrian
government would use chemical weapon
so close to the capital, Damascus, in a
war it already has the upper hand.
At a press conference on Tuesday, White
House spokesman, Joe Carney, said the
Obama administration had gone beyond
the question of whether chemical
weapons were used or who used them.
“The Assad regime is the only possible
force that could have deployed [chemical
weapons],” Mr. Carney said. “There has to
be a response to that clear violation of
international norms.”
Defence secretary, Chuck Hagel repeated
an earlier warning that U.S. forces in the
region are “ready to go”, once President
Barack Obama takes a decision.
Asked if U.S. forces were ready to strike
Syria just “like that”, Mr. Hagel told the
BBC: “We are ready to go, like that.”
“We have moved assets in place to be
able to fulfill and comply with whatever
option the president wishes to take,” he
said.
According to Reuters, several sources
who attended a meeting in Istanbul on
Monday between Syrian opposition
leaders and diplomats from Washington
and other governments said the rebels
were told to expect military action and to
get ready to negotiate a peace.
“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.
In an indication of support from Arab
states that may help Western powers
argue the case for war against likely U.N.
vetoes from Moscow and Beijing, the
Arab League issued a statement holding
Assad’s government responsible for the
chemical attack.
The Syrian government, which denies
using gas or obstructing the U.N.
inspectors, said it would press on with its
offensive against rebels around the
capital.
Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moualem, said
U.S. strikes would help al Qaeda allies
and called Western leaders “delusional” if
they hoped to help the rebels reach a
balance of power in Syria.