Britain has fresh Syria chemical weapons evidence: PM

Published September 5, 2013
British Prime Minister David Cameron listens during a round table meeting at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. -AP Photo
British Prime Minister David Cameron listens during a round table meeting at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. -AP Photo

LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday that Britain had further evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which a British source said confirmed the use of sarin.

“We have just been looking at some samples taken from Damascus in the Porton Down laboratory in Britain which further shows the use of chemical weapons in that Damascus suburb,” Cameron told BBC TV from the G20 summit in St Petersburg.

A British source told AFP that a soil and cloth sample taken from the site of the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian capital “has tested positive for sarin”.

The source said the results were separate to those obtained by the United States, which has said it has proof of the use of sarin in last month's attack.

Last week British lawmakers voted against taking military action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which has been blamed for the attack.

The regime claims the rebels were responsible.

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