Military strikes on Syria now very likely

The US & UK are gathering their military cheifs together for possible strokes on Syria. 

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel has said his forces were ‘ready to go’ on the President's say-so and one Pentagon source admitted the bombardment could even begin tomorrow. 

Britain has a RAF base in Cyprus, less than 100 miles from Syria, while the Royal Navy has several warships and a submarine with missiles on board already in the Mediterranean..

Four American destroyers are currently deployed in the eastern Mediterranean and equipped with long-range Tomahawk missiles that could strike Syria.

Both countries are set to publish intelligence reports later today, based on intercepted communications and surveillance, which will set out why they are sure the chemical attack in Damascus was carried out by al-Assad's forces and not rebels.

Mr Hague from the UK said  "This is the first use of chemical warfare in the 21st Century, it has to be unacceptable," he said. "We have to confront something that is a war crime."

When asked by reporters about comparisons with Iraq, he said the situation was "entirely different" as a "crime against humanity HAD been committed" in Syria.

In other developments:

UN weapons inspectors have returned to the site of the suspected attack after a day's delay over security concerns

UN special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said it seemed clear some type of chemical substance was used "that killed a lot of people"

It is understood the most likely military response would be a one-off or limited guided missile strikes on Syrian military targets fired from US Navy warships.

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said it was understood military targets had already been chosen and they would probably focus on command centres believed to be involved in the use of chemical weapons.

She said cruise missiles could be launched from US ships in the Gulf or the Mediterranean, or Royal Navy vessels including submarine HMS Tireless.

Sources mail online & BBC News