US at UN makes case for military action against Syria

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the UN today that no decision had been taken about military action against Syria, but use of force would be in response to multiple chemical attacks carried out by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Haley made clear that the US administration was taking time to assess the full implications of military strikes on Syria after Russia warned that it could lead to a dangerous US-Russian war.

Addressing the Security Council, Haley laid out Washington's case for resorting to force, challenging Russia's claim that military action would be in violation of international law.

"Our president has not yet made a decision about possible action in Syria," Haley said.

"But should the United States and our allies decide to act in Syria, it will be in defense of a principle on which we all agree."
Syria and Russia have denied using poisonous gas in Douma on April 7, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying that Moscow had "irrefutable" evidence that the attack in Douma was a "staged event." Ahead of the meeting, Haley sounded a note of caution, saying there should be no rush to launch air strikes even though "at some point you have to do something." "You don't rush decisions like this," Haley told reporters. "If you do, you make a mistake."