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Britain to Wait for Weapons Report Ahead of Syria Strikes U.N. Inspectors to Report Findings by Weekend
(about 1 hour later)
LONDON — Momentum toward an imminent Western military strike on Syrian government targets appeared to have slowed after British leaders, facing a vote in Parliament on Thursday, signaled that they would await the findings of a United Nations inquiry into the suspected use of chemical weapons before holding a separate parliamentary ballot, possibly next week. LONDON — As momentum toward an imminent Western military strike on Syria appeared to slow, United Nations inspectors headed for a third day on Thursday to the outskirts of Damascus seeking evidence of chemical attacks while news outlets reported naval deployments in the Mediterranean, suggesting that outside powers were jockeying for position.
The shift came late Wednesday when Prime Minister David Cameron’s government, aware of the sensitivities created by the Iraq war, said unexpectedly in a parliamentary motion to be debated on Thursday that a separate vote would be required later to authorize military action in response to an attack that left hundreds dead near Damascus last week. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, was quoted as telling reporters in Vienna that the inspectors would complete their work on Friday and report to him on Saturday about their inquiry into the attacks last week that left hundreds dead from what Western powers have called a chemical weapons attack.
Mr. Cameron bowed to pressure from the opposition Labour Party and to some within his own coalition who want to wait for United Nations weapons inspectors, currently in Syria, to report their findings and for the United Nations Security Council to make one more effort to give a more solid legal backing to military action against Damascus. The inspectors headed in a six-car convoy on Thursday toward the site of attacks in the eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus to collect evidence and samples, news reports said. Their mandate is not to apportion blame for firing chemical weapons but to establish whether they were used.
The inspectors headed in a six-car convoy on Thursday toward the site of attacks in the eastern outskirts of Damascus for a third day of collecting evidence and samples, news reports said. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, was quoted as telling reporters in Vienna that the inspectors would complete their work on Friday and report to him on Saturday. Their mandate is not to apportion blame for firing chemical weapons but to establish whether they were used. In London, government enthusiasm for a rapid retaliatory strike against Syrian government targets seemed to evaporate late Wednesday when British leaders, facing dissent among lawmakers, signaled that they would await the inspectors’ findings before holding a separate parliamentary ballot, possibly next week.
The British shift came late Wednesday when Prime Minister David Cameron’s government, aware of the sensitivities created by the Iraq war, said unexpectedly in a parliamentary motion to be debated on Thursday that a separate vote would be required later to authorize military action in response to an attack that left hundreds dead near Damascus last week.
Mr. Cameron bowed to pressure from the opposition Labour Party and to some within his own coalition who want to wait for United Nations weapons inspectors to report their findings and for the United Nations Security Council to make one more effort to give a more solid legal backing to military action against Damascus.
“A United Nations process must be followed as far as possible to ensure the maximum legitimacy for any such action,” the text of the British parliamentary motion said, and the secretary general “should ensure a briefing to the United Nations Security Council immediately upon the completion of the team’s initial mission.”“A United Nations process must be followed as far as possible to ensure the maximum legitimacy for any such action,” the text of the British parliamentary motion said, and the secretary general “should ensure a briefing to the United Nations Security Council immediately upon the completion of the team’s initial mission.”
“Before any direct British involvement in such action a further vote of the House of Commons will take place,” the motion said.“Before any direct British involvement in such action a further vote of the House of Commons will take place,” the motion said.
Mr. Cameron, who heads a coalition government, is facing political difficulties from legislators mindful of events in 2003, when assurances from Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved to be inaccurate and a false pretext for war.Mr. Cameron, who heads a coalition government, is facing political difficulties from legislators mindful of events in 2003, when assurances from Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved to be inaccurate and a false pretext for war.
As Mr. Cameron ran into difficulties, the Syrian government, which has denied accusations by a range of Western and Arab countries that it used chemical weapons in the Aug. 21 attack, moved abruptly to prolong the inspectors’ visit. The authorities announced that they had evidence of three previously unreported chemical weapons assaults that they said had been carried out by insurgents and should be investigated by the inspectors. The delay in Britain sharpened the focus on France — a rival for influence in Europe — where President François Hollande met on Thursday with Ahmad al-Jarba, the president of the fractured Syrian opposition, which is seeking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Hollande’s government was the first in the West to offer formal recognition of the exiled Syrian opposition
If the inspectors look into those accusations, they could remain in Syria well past this weekend, beyond their original mandate, as differences swirling around the conflict there move into ever sharper focus. In an interview published before the meeting, Mr. Jarba displayed growing impatience with the pace of Western moves toward a military strike and with the level of support for insurgents seeking the overthrow of President Assad.
In an interview published in Paris on Thursday, Ahmad al-Jarba, the president of the fractious Syrian opposition, displayed growing impatience with the pace of Western moves toward a military strike and with the level of support for insurgents seeking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
Asked in the newspaper Le Parisien what he expected of Western military intervention, he replied: “First of all, a punitive strike against the regime. Then political and military support for the Free Syrian Army. For the Assad regime enjoys total support from Russia, Hezbollah and Iran. We lack everything. Our allies have given us nothing of what we want.”Asked in the newspaper Le Parisien what he expected of Western military intervention, he replied: “First of all, a punitive strike against the regime. Then political and military support for the Free Syrian Army. For the Assad regime enjoys total support from Russia, Hezbollah and Iran. We lack everything. Our allies have given us nothing of what we want.”
Le Parisien said Mr. Jarba was speaking ahead of a meeting scheduled for Thursday with President François Hollande, whose government was the first in the West to offer formal recognition of the exiled Syrian opposition movement. After the meeting, though, Mr. Hollande sounded a more cautious note than earlier, saying that “everything must be done for a political solution but it will only happen if the coalition is able to appear as an alternative with the necessary force, notably from its army.” “We will only manage this if the international community can put a temporary stop to this escalation in violence, of which the chemical attack is just one example,” Mr. Hollande said.
In Tehran, meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying that Iran, Syria’s most powerful regional backer, believed that it was necessary to “apply all efforts to prevent” military action against the authorities in Damascus. “Military action will have a big amount of costs for the region,” Iranian state television quoted Mr. Rouhani as telling President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a telephone conversation late Wednesday. In Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying that Iran, Syria’s most powerful regional backer, believed that it was necessary to “apply all efforts to prevent” military action against the authorities in Damascus. “Military action will have a big amount of costs for the region,” Iranian state television quoted Mr. Rouhani as telling President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a telephone conversation late Wednesday.
While Mr. Rouhani condemned the use of chemical weapons, he also said Iran and Russia would work to prevent any military action against Syria, which he called an “open violation” of international law, The Associated Press reported.While Mr. Rouhani condemned the use of chemical weapons, he also said Iran and Russia would work to prevent any military action against Syria, which he called an “open violation” of international law, The Associated Press reported.
“Early judgment can be dangerous, before clarification” he said, referring to Western assertions that the Syrian authorities had used chemical weapons.“Early judgment can be dangerous, before clarification” he said, referring to Western assertions that the Syrian authorities had used chemical weapons.
As regional powers maneuvered, there were media reports that warships were being deployed in the Mediterranean by Russia and France, but there was no immediate confirmation of those accounts. The United States Navy has four destroyers within striking range of Syria in the Mediterranean, all of them carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles. Attack submarines also carry Tomahawks and are assumed to be on station in the Mediterranean.As regional powers maneuvered, there were media reports that warships were being deployed in the Mediterranean by Russia and France, but there was no immediate confirmation of those accounts. The United States Navy has four destroyers within striking range of Syria in the Mediterranean, all of them carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles. Attack submarines also carry Tomahawks and are assumed to be on station in the Mediterranean.
In Moscow, the news agency Interfax quoted an unidentified military source as saying Russia planned to send two warships to the Mediterranean — an anti-submarine vessel and a missile cruiser — because of the “well-known situation.” A French frigate was reported on Thursday to have left the naval base at Toulon on the Mediterranean, but its destination was not immediately clear.In Moscow, the news agency Interfax quoted an unidentified military source as saying Russia planned to send two warships to the Mediterranean — an anti-submarine vessel and a missile cruiser — because of the “well-known situation.” A French frigate was reported on Thursday to have left the naval base at Toulon on the Mediterranean, but its destination was not immediately clear.
Britain said Thursday that its air force had sent six Typhoon warplanes to a British base at Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. But, given the government’s promise to delay direct military action, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said, the warplanes “are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria.”Britain said Thursday that its air force had sent six Typhoon warplanes to a British base at Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. But, given the government’s promise to delay direct military action, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said, the warplanes “are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria.”
“This is purely a prudent and precautionary measure to ensure the protection of U.K. interests” and the security of the base at Akrotiri, the spokesman said, speaking in return for anonymity under departmental rules. He added that nine Royal Navy vessels were in the Mediterranean as part of an exercise planned before the Syria crisis.“This is purely a prudent and precautionary measure to ensure the protection of U.K. interests” and the security of the base at Akrotiri, the spokesman said, speaking in return for anonymity under departmental rules. He added that nine Royal Navy vessels were in the Mediterranean as part of an exercise planned before the Syria crisis.
The reported deployments came as the remarkable political turnabout by Mr. Cameron’s government slowed the momentum the United States and Britain had been building for military intervention in the Syrian conflict, which began more than two years ago as a popular uprising against Mr. Assad and has since become a civil war that has left more than 100,000 people dead and destabilized the Middle East. For its part, the Syrian government, which has denied accusations by a range of Western and Arab countries that it used chemical weapons in the Aug. 21 attack, moved abruptly on Wednesday to prolong the inspectors’ visit. The authorities announced that they had evidence of three previously unreported chemical weapons assaults that they said had been carried out by insurgents and should be investigated by the inspectors.
The American and British governments have said that the evidence is already persuasive that Mr. Assad’s forces used chemical munitions on civilians in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta last week, committing what the Obama administration has called a moral atrocity that cannot go unanswered. If the inspectors look into those accusations, they could remain in Syria well past this weekend, beyond their original mandate, as differences swirling around the conflict there move into ever sharper focus. But Mr. Ban’s reported announcement that the inspectors would leave Syria by Saturday suggested that he wanted them to keep their original schedule.
The American and British governments have said that the existing evidence is persuasive that Mr. Assad’s forces used chemical munitions on civilians in the Damascus suburbs last week, committing what the Obama administration has called a moral atrocity that cannot go unanswered.
The United States could still act without the support of Britain, its closest ally, but the Obama administration has actively sought to build a consensus for a military strike. While expectations had been building that a strike could happen by the weekend, another few days may make no difference to what has been advertised as a short, sharp punishment for the use of chemical weapons, not an effort to oust Mr. Assad.The United States could still act without the support of Britain, its closest ally, but the Obama administration has actively sought to build a consensus for a military strike. While expectations had been building that a strike could happen by the weekend, another few days may make no difference to what has been advertised as a short, sharp punishment for the use of chemical weapons, not an effort to oust Mr. Assad.
Mr. Cameron’s pullback came as Britain moved to introduce a Security Council resolution that would authorize military action in Syria — a measure that Russia, the Syrian government’s most important backer, quickly signaled it would block, as it has done several times.

Reporting was contributed by Rick Gladstone in New York, Michael R. Gordon from Washington, Steven Lee Myers from Moscow, Nick Cumming-Bruce from Geneva, Marlise Simons from The Hague, and Scott Sayare in Paris.

After an informal meeting among the five permanent Security Council members at United Nations headquarters in New York, no further action on the resolution was taken. “This isn’t going anywhere,” a Western diplomat said.
The Russians argued that it was premature to even talk about such a resolution while United Nations inspectors were on the ground in Syria.
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, added a new level of complexity to the issue with the announcement that he had submitted evidence of the three new instances of chemical weapons use in Syria, which he asserted had been carried out by armed terrorist groups, the government’s blanket term for Syrian opposition forces.
Mr. Jaafari said attacks involving chemical weapons occurred last Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and also took place in the Damascus suburbs. He said Syrian soldiers were the targets. The ambassador did not explain why he waited to come forth with the allegations.
“The Syrian government is requesting the secretary general to immediately instruct the investigation team operating in Damascus to investigate immediately these three heinous crimes,” the ambassador said.
In Washington, the State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, suggested that the failure of Britain’s Security Council resolution to move forward on Wednesday had been expected.
“All previous attempts to get the Security Council to act on Syria have been blocked, and we cannot allow diplomatic paralysis to be a shield for the perpetrators of these crimes,” she said. “We do not believe that the Syrian regime should be able to hide behind the fact that the Russians continue to block action on Syria at the U.N.”

Stephen Castle and Steven Erlanger reported from London, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Reporting was contributed by Michael R. Gordon from Washington, Alan Cowell from London, Steven Lee Myers from Moscow, Nick Cumming-Bruce from Geneva and Marlise Simons from The Hague.