DHAKA: British foreign secretary William Hague called on Sunday for a strong response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, saying the issue went wider than the conflict in the Middle Eastern country.

Hague said that although the British parliament had rejected joining military action against Syria, he backed anticipated US-led air strikes to stop president Bashar al-Assad’s regime using poison gas again.

US state secretary John Kerry is due to arrive in London on Sunday for talks with Hague as part of a swing through European capitals to drum up support for action on Syria.

‘I do believe very strongly that the world must stand up against the use of chemical weapons. The risks of not doing so in my view are greater than the risks of doing so,’ Hague told BBC television, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1658 HRS, SEPT 08, 2013
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