US seeks coalition as UK says no

Washington faces impasse after Britain's rejection of strike on Syria

Washington said on Friday it is seeking an "international coalition" for possible strikes on Syria over alleged chemical attacks while reserving the right to act alone despite the United Kingdom's Parliament rejecting involvement.

UN arms experts, meanwhile, were to inspect the sites of last week's suspected poisonous gas attacks for a final day before they depart the war-battered country on Saturday and report their findings to UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

Faced with an impasse at the UN Security Council and the British Parliament's rejection of any military strikes against the Syrian government, the United States has been forced to look elsewhere for international partners.

The British House of Commons voted on Thursday to defy Prime Minister David Cameron's bid to win support for military action against Syria's government in response to its suspected use of chemical weapons.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the White House respected the British stance and that it was still seeking an "international coalition that will act together" against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We are continuing to consult with the British as with all of our allies. That consultation includes ways forward together on a response to this chemical weapons attack in Syria," he said in the Philippines.

The British rejection also came after the failure of an improbable eleventh-hour effort by British diplomats to win UN backing for action against Assad at a meeting of the permanent members of the Security Council.

"It is clear to me that the British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action. I get that and the government will act accordingly," Cameron said.

His government was defeated by just 13 votes in the House of Commons in its bid for a "strong humanitarian response" to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons.

Wide coalition unlikely

That, combined with the UN deadlock, appeared to effectively sound the death knell for the idea of a broad-based Western military coalition, although other US allies might still participate.

Caitlin Hayden, a US National Security Council spokeswoman, said President Barack Obama's decision-making "will be guided by what is in the best interests of Washington."

"He believes that there are core interests at stake for the US and that countries who violate international norms regarding chemical weapons need to be held accountable," Hayden said.

Earlier, envoys from the permanent Security Council members - UK, China, France, Russia and the US - had met at UN headquarters in New York.

The 45-minute meeting was the second since Britain proposed a draft resolution to permit "all necessary measures" to protect Syrian civilians after suspected chemical weapons attacks in Damascus on Aug 21.

But none of the envoys commented as they left.

Earlier reports had suggested that a Western strike was imminent, but questions have been raised about the quality of the intelligence linking Assad to the attack.

The White House reached out to US lawmakers, with the president's top aides briefing congressional leaders in a 90-minute conference call.

Some members of US Congress voiced support for limited, surgical strikes, while urging the administration to continue consulting closely with them.

Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader of the US House of Representatives, said she agreed with House Speaker John Boehner that "there needs to be more consultation with all members of Congress and additional transparency into the decision making process and timing, and that the case needs to be made to the US people".

US warships armed with scores of cruise missiles are converging on the eastern Mediterranean, and US military officials have said they are ready to launch a powerful barrage against regime targets in Syria.

Russia has blocked all attempts to toughen sanctions against Damascus or authorize outside force to unseat the Syrian government.

And its deputy prime minister, Gennady Gatilov, said on Friday his government opposes any resolution "indicating the probability of the use of force" or "that could be used for military action against Syria".

Syria is in the 29th month of a vicious civil war in which more than 100,000 people are credibly reported to have died.

As the standoff continues, a team of UN inspectors are investigating reports that last week's gas attack in Damascus killed more than 350 people, including women and children.

A UN spokesman said on Thursday that the team had collected "considerable" evidence and will brief the UN secretary general soon after they leave Syria on Saturday.

AFP-Reuters-Xinhua

(China Daily 08/31/2013 page8)