Missile strikes against Syria not for regime change: Britain's May
April 14, 2018 10:59
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Saturday she had authorised British forces to conduct precision air-launched cruise missile strikes on Syria to degrade its chemical weapons capability, saying there was no alternative to military action.
Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets using Storm Shadow missiles had taken part in the attack on a military facility near Homs where it was assessed Syria had stockpiled chemicals, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.
The strike, conducted with the United States and France, was "limited and targeted", designed to minimise any civilian casualties, May said. The MoD said the initial indications were that the precision weapons and meticulous target planning had "resulted in a successful attack".
"This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change," May said in a statement.
She said the strike was a response to significant evidence including intelligence showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government was responsible for attack using chemical weapons in Douma in Syria last Saturday that killed up to 75 people including children.
May added Britain and its allies had sought to use every diplomatic means to stop the use of chemical weapons, but had been repeatedly thwarted, citing a Russian veto of an independent investigation into the Douma attack at the UN Security Council this week.
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