The UK would find it difficult to refuse a call from the US to join military strikes on Syria, Boris Johnson has said.
Discussing the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, the foreign secretary said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had “unleashed murder upon his own citizens with weapons that were banned almost 100 years ago”.
He continued:
“I think it would be very difficult if the US has a proposal to have some sort of action in response to a chemical weapons attack.
“And if they come to us and ask for our support – whether it’s with submarine-based cruise missiles in the Med… in my view – and I know it’s also the view of the prime minister – it would be difficult for us to say ‘no’.”
When asked whether the government would ask permission from parliament to launch these strikes after losing a vote on Syrian intervention in 2013, Johnson implied that no parliamentary assent was required.
Johnson’s comments come as Parliament is about to dissolve ahead of the snap election called by Theresa May.
In contrast to the government’s position, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said if a request for military intervention was made to him as prime minister, he would ask the United Nations to intervene, and reaffirmed his position that further foreign military intervention in Syria would not aid the push for peace.
