Britain, France and US to demand fresh UN investigation into use of chemical weapons in Syria

Allies seek new resolution as Russian motion calling for condemnation of bombing raids is voted down

Karen Pierce, the UK’s United Nations representative, and US counterpart Nikki Haley vote at the emergency meeting on Saturday (EPA)

Britain, France and the United States are set to make a fresh call to the United Nations for an investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

The three allies will submit a draft resolution to the Security Council condemning chemical attacks, especially the suspected release of chlorine gas in Douma on 7 April, France’s UN ambassador Francois Delattre said.

It will demand answers from Syria on gaps in its chemical weapons declaration to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), while also seeking to open humanitarian channels.

The proposed resolution was drawn up just hours after the West launched a series of air strikes on Syrian government facilities in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Britain, the US and France have hailed the attack as a “success”, suggesting the targeted raids on several weapons facilities have “set the Syrian chemical weapons programme back three years”.

Russia has reported 71 of the 103 cruise missiles launched were shot down by a Soviet-era air defence system deployed by the Syrian government, a claim commanders from the US, UK and France have denied.

Meanwhile, the Security Council has rejected a separate resolution tabled by Russia calling for condemnation of “aggression” by the US and its allies.

Only three countries – Russia, China and Bolivia – voted in favour of the resolution at the end of an emergency meeting of the 15-member council called on Saturday.

Eight countries voted against and three abstained. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favour in order to pass.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told the meeting President Donald Trump has warned that America is “locked and loaded” if there is further use of chemical weapons in Syria.

“When our president draws a red line, our president enforces the red line,” Ms Haley said.

“The United States of America will not allow the Assad regime to continue using chemical weapons.”

Members of the OPCW’s fact-finding mission to Syria arrived in Damascus on Saturday afternoon to begin an investigation into the suspected chemical attack in Douma, which left dozens of people dead.

Russia and Syria claim the attack was staged by the West as pretext for an intervention.

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador, accused the US, UK and France of “hooliganism” for striking targets without waiting for the OPCW to conclude its investigation.