US, UK, France strike Syria

Israel, S Arabia, Turkey support while Russia, China, Iran condemn attack; Trump says ‘mission accomplished’, May terms raids ‘limited & targeted’; Russia fails to win UN support

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT: US, British and French forces struck Syria with more than 100 missiles on Saturday in the first coordinated Western strikes against the Damascus government, targeting what they said were chemical weapons sites in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack.

US President Donald Trump announced the military action from the White House, saying the three allies had "marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality". Later he tweeted: "Mission accomplished". Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab. There were no immediate reports of casualties, as the buildings hit had been evacuated in advance. The Syrian air defences were reported to have intercepted 71 of the missiles fired. British Prime Minister Theresa May termed the strike "limited and targeted", with no intention of toppling Assad or intervening more widely in the war.

In a speech, she gave a vivid description of the victims of the alleged chemical strike that killed scores, huddling in basements as gas rained down.

She said Russia had thwarted diplomatic efforts to halt Assad´s use of poison gas, leaving no option but force.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the strikes had been limited so far to Syria´s chemical weapons facilities.

Paris released a dossier that it said showed Damascus was to blame for the poison gas attack on Douma.

Washington described its targets as a centre near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons, a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs, and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis called the strikes a "one-time shot", although Trump raised the prospect of further strikes if Assad´s government again used chemical weapons.

"We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents," the US president said in a televised address.

The Pentagon said there had been chemical weapons agents at one of the targets, and that, although there were other parts to Syria´s chemical weapons system, the strikes had significantly crippled its ability to produce such weapons.

NATO ENVOYS BRIEFED: The United States, France and Britain told Nato envoys on Saturday that the coordinated air strikes overnight were a last resort aimed to stop more chemical attacks.

The three allies briefed Nato ambassadors in a special session at the alliance headquarters and won support from the other 26 Nato members, who sought more diplomatic pressure to uphold an international ban on poison gas attacks.

RUSSIA FAILS TO WIN UN BACKING: The UN Security Council on Saturday opened a meeting at Russia´s request to discuss the allied military strikes.

Russia circulated a draft resolution calling for condemnation of the military action, but Britain´s ambassador said the strikes were "both right and legal" to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Syria.

Russia, however, failed to win UN backing for a condemnation of military strikes.

A Russian-drafted resolution won three votes at the Security Council, far below the nine votes required for adoption.

Eight countries voted against and four abstained.

The vote was held after the United States warned that it was "locked and loaded," ready to launch more military strikes on Syria if President Bashar al-Assad´s forces carry out a new chemical weapons attack.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the West of "hooliganism" and demanded that it "immediately end its actions against Syria and refrain from them in the future."

"You are not only placing yourselves above international law, but you are trying to re-write international law," Nebenzia said after the vote.

China and Bolivia supported the Russian measure, while the three allies along with Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Kuwait and Ivory Coast opposed it. Peru, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea abstained.

UN CHIEF URGES RESTRAINT: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all states "to show restraint in these dangerous circumstances and to avoid any acts that could escalate matters and worsen the suffering of the Syrian people.

"He said international investigators were in Syria and ready to visit the site of a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack in Douma, which prompted military action by the United States, France and Britain.

ISRAEL, SAUDI ARABIA AND TURKEY SUPPORT ATTACKS: Punitive US-led strikes on Syria are justified because of the "murderous actions" carried out by the Damascus government, an Israeli official said Saturday.

"Last year (US) President Donald Trump said that the use of chemical weapons would violate a red line. This night, under America´s guidance, the United States, France and Britain acted accordingly (because) Syria continues to carry out its murderous actions," the official, who declined to be identified, said.

Saudi Arabia expressed its full support for US-led strikes saying they were a response to "regime crimes" against civilians.

"Saudi Arabia fully supports the strikes against Syria because they represent a response to the regime´s crimes," a foreign ministry statement said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday welcomed the strikes as "appropriate" in retaliation for Damascus´ "inhumane" attacks.

"We consider this operation as appropriate," Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling party in Istanbul.

"The regime has seen that its mounting attacks in recent days against dissidents... will not be left unanswered."

Erdogan said he had a "sleepless night" as he monitored all the developments.

"It is not possible for us to approve the situation encountered by (Syrian) babies as a result of the use of chemicals weapons," he said.

"Whoever the perpetrators they should pay a price."

Erdogan, who had a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May following the strikes, said he would also speak with French President Emmanuel Macron.

MOSCOW, IRAN, IRAQ AND CHINA OPPOSE ATTACKS: The Kremlin condemned air strikes.

"Russia severely condemns the attack on Syria where Russian military are helping the lawful government in the fight with terrorism," the Kremlin said in a statement, its first reaction to the strikes.

Moscow also said it was calling an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the "aggressive actions" of the US and its allies.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Rossiya 1 TV channel that the US strikes on Syria were a blatant and brazen violation of international law, which deter the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

"A flagrant and brazen violation of international law is taking place, without any arguments. Throwing caution to the wind, and moreover derailing any full-fledged OPCW mission in this region, the US, along with its allies, carried out a strike on Damascus," she said.

Russia´s defence ministry said the strikes claimed no victims among Syrian civilians or military.

In a briefing at Moscow, Senior military officer Sergei Rudskoi said 103 cruise missiles were fired, including Tomahawk missiles, but that the Syrian air defence systems managed to intercept 71 cruise missiles.

"All together, 103 cruise missiles were deployed," Rudskoi said. He said Russia may consider supplying S-300 missile systems to Syria and other countries.

“China opposes any unilateral military actions in circumvention of the UN Security Council contradict the UN Charter and principles,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Saturday in the wake of the strikes.

"China has always spoken against the use of military force in international relations and spoken for the respect of the sovereignty of all the states, their independence and territorial integrity," the spokeswoman said.

"China believes that political settlement is the sole way out of the Syrian crisis, Hua Chunying said.

Iran´s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said coordinated air strikes on Syria were a crime that would bring no benefit.

"Today´s dawn attack on Syria is a crime. I clearly declare that the president of the United States, the president of France and the British prime minister are criminals," Khamenei said in a speech, according to his Twitter account.

"They will not benefit (from the attack) as they went to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the past years and committed such crimes and did not gain any benefits," Khamenei added.

Iraq warned that Western air strikes Saturday on Syria were a "very dangerous" development that could fuel a jihadist resurgence in the region.

A statement by foreign ministry spokesman Ahmad Mahjoub said the strikes´ "consequences threaten the security and stability of the region".