Defence secretary supports US strike over ‘Syria attack plan’

Sir Michael Fallon says the UK would support US strikes on Syria in retaliation for any use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al-Assad.

Fallon said that the UK’s support for US action by Donald Trump would be consistent as long as the action is justified, legal and proportionate.

It comes after claims from the White House which said it has ‘potential’ evidence that Assad’s military forces are preparing for another chemical attack on rebel forces.

Fallon told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “As always in war, the military action you use must be justified, it must be legal, it must proportionate, it must be necessary. In the last case it was. If the Americans take similar action again, I want to be very clear, we will support it.”

He added: “Jim Mattis [the US Defence Secretary General] did review the various options with me last time before the final meeting with the President. I shall be seeing Secretary Mattis at the Nato meeting on Thursday. This is one of the matters we expect to review.”