Syria Crisis: US Kerry Signals Military Intent

America has issued the strongest signal yet that it intends to take military action against Syria over an alleged chemical weapons attack.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the attack, which doctors say killed hundreds, was a "moral obscenity" that "should shock the conscience of the world".

"Make no mistake, President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapon against the world's most vulnerable people," Mr Kerry said.

"Nothing today is more serious, and nothing is receiving more serious scrutiny".

The US State Department has also postponed a meeting with Russian diplomats on Syria that was scheduled for this week because of America's ongoing review into alleged use of chemical weapons.

UN chemical weapons experts visit people affected by the alleged attack

Russia - the Damascus regime's most powerful ally - said America's decision to postpone the meeting on the crisis at The Hague was a "serious disappointment" and warned that any use of force against Syria would have "catastrophic consequences".

"We call on our American colleagues and all members of the international community to show prudence, strict observance of international law, and above all, the fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia's Emergencies Ministry has confirmed to Sky News that it is sending a plane to Syria today to take humanitarian aid in and expects to bring around 150 Russian citizens out.

UN weapons experts are carrying out a second day of investigations into the alleged attack in Damascus, after the inspectors braved sniper fire on Monday.

Despite this, the UN team collected some "valuable" biological and environmental samples but refused to accept other samples of blood and urine that had already been taken by medical workers.

UN weapons inspectors came under sniper fire during investigations

Syrian President Bashar al Assad denies using the chemical weapons and Moscow - which supplies arms to Syria - has backed claims that video footage of victims could be opposition propaganda.

But Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron earlier clashed with President Vladimir Putin over Russia's continued insistence that there is "no evidence" of a chemical attack.

Mr Cameron has returned early to Downing Street from a family holiday to prepare for a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister will discuss possible UK involvement in using force against the Assad regime after the increasingly tough rhetoric from the US.

A reported build-up of military aircraft on British base RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus suggested that planning had reached a developed stage.

Foreign Secretary William Hague - who is holding talks with Mr Cameron today ahead of the NSC meeting - suggested force could be legal even if Russia vetoed UN Security Council backing.

A UN weapons expert gathers evidence in Damascus

Mr Hague declined to rule out action, such as targeted air strikes, being launched within days.

Any intervention would be "in accordance with international law and will be based on legal advice to the national security council and to the Cabinet", Mr Hague stressed.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has cancelled a visit to UK troops serving in Afghanistan so that he can attend the NSC meeting.

A spokesman for Mr Clegg said he supported the need for a "strong response" from the international community to the "abhorrent" use of chemical weapons.

But the party leaders face significant opposition to British involvement in military action.

MPs are due back from their summer break next Monday and many MPs - including many Tories - are demanding a chance to debate the situation more quickly.

A Downing Street spokesman said the Government would decide "whether the timetable for our response means it will be necessary to recall MPs sooner than Monday when the House is currently due to return".

David Cameron is under mounting pressure to recall parliament

Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander, told Sky News that MPs must be given a vote before any British military action in Syria.

But Mr Alexander said he hopes other options besides military intervention are being being considered by the UK, US and other countries.

"I don't rule out supporting the Government [on intervention], but I think it's incumbent on the Government to make its case, to produce the evidence, to answer questions and to allow Parliament to have its say," he said.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, said it was vital to "take sides" against the Assad regime and in other regional disputes.

Mr Blair, who took the decision for British troops to join the US-led action in Iraq, wrote in the Times: "I know as one of the architects of policy after 9/11 the controversy, anguish and cost of the decisions taken.

"They have to be defeated. We should defeat them, however long it takes because otherwise they will not disappear. They will grow stronger until, at a later time, there will be another crossroads and this time there will be no choice."

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said it was "inconceivable" to act before the UN inspectors had completed their work.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that North Korea tried to export gas masks to Syria but they were seized in Turkey along with arms and ammunitions, according to Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun.

After a tip-off from the US, Turkish officials in April seized 1,400 rifles and pistols and some 30,000 bullets as well as gas masks apparently for chemical protection, said the newspaper, which is known for its North Korea coverage.

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