UK Scientists Found Sarin Nerve Gas On Syrian Victims' Clothing, Prime Minister David Cameron Says

Cameron Reveals Evidence Of Sarin Gas In Syria Attack
British Prime Minister David Cameron listens during a round table meeting at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. The threat of missiles over the Mediterranean is weighing on world leaders meeting on the shores of the Baltic this week, and eclipsing economic battles that usually dominate when the G-20 world economies meet. (AP Photo/Sergei Karpukhin, Pool)
British Prime Minister David Cameron listens during a round table meeting at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. The threat of missiles over the Mediterranean is weighing on world leaders meeting on the shores of the Baltic this week, and eclipsing economic battles that usually dominate when the G-20 world economies meet. (AP Photo/Sergei Karpukhin, Pool)

As G20 summit starts, the Pope warns US attacks are ‘futile’

British scientists have detected the deadly Sarin nerve agent on the clothing of one of the victims of the gas attack in Syria, David Cameron revealed today.

Samples collected from the clothes of one of hundreds of men, women and children killed near Damascus on

August 21 tested positive at the secret Porton Down laboratories. Soil at the site of the massacre also contained Sarin traces. It means independent British confirmation that one of the cruellest illegal weapons was unleashed against civilians and opposition fighters.

But President Obama's call for attacks to punish Syrian dictator Bashar Assad was jolted when the Pope warned against "futile" military strikes.

In a boost for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is leading opposition at the G20 summit to military action, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said attacks would not solve the crisis.

"Rather, let there be a renewed commitment to seek, with courage and determination, a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation of the parties, unanimously supported by the international community," Pope Francis said in a letter to Mr Putin, the summit host.

In his first big intervention on the global stage since he became Pope in March, he appealed: "To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions." He called on Catholics to join him on Saturday in a day of prayer and fasting to end the Syrian conflict. British confirmation that Sarin was used, probably by Assad forces, will reinforce the case for missile strikes. Sarin is a clear liquid that turns into an odourless vapour and is far more deadly than cyanide.

Arriving at St Petersburg for a G20 summit dominated by the question of whether to punish Assad's regime for an apparent act of mass murder, the Prime Minister issued an urgent call for drugs and equipment to help Syrian people survive any further attacks.

He called for a supply of antidote medicines, decontamination tents and other equipment to protect opposition-held areas feared to be in danger.

Today's announcement comes too late to influence last week's Commons debate on military action, where Mr Cameron was defeated by only 13 votes and forced to rule out taking part.

It will fuel criticism of the Government for rushing into a vote before the full evidence was available.

A tiny drop of Sarin, the size of a pinhead, can kill in under two minutes by paralysing lung functions. Victims suffer suffocation, vomiting and diarrhoea; and convulsions, typically dying in 15 minutes unless drugs are given.

America and France have already announced that their own experts found evidence of banned Sarin.

Downing Street said the samples tested at the Defence Science Technology Laboratory were obtained independently of the two other countries.

No 10 would not reveal if the victim was male, female, adult or child, or civilian or fighter, saying only that he or she was "a victim". Neither would sources reveal how UK investigators came to possess the samples of clothing.

Speaking at the summit, Mr Cameron said he was "confident that Assad was responsible" for the attacks.

"I think the evidence is growing all the time. 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."

Despite ruling out British participation he urged President Obama not to shrink from attacking Syria for fear of sending the wrong signal to dictators who are tempted to use banned weapons. "Having set a red line on the further big use of chemical weapons it would be wrong if America were to step back... do nothing. That would send a signal to Assad and also to dictators everywhere," he told the BBC.

He denied that the special relationship between Britain and the US had been damaged, although eyebrows were raised that President Obama is having one-to-one talks with French President Francois Hollande but not with Mr Cameron.

More on Syria

"The relationship between Britain and America is so good we do not have to measure it by the number of telephone calls or meetings," he told ITV. The US claims that Sarin nerve gas killed more than 1,400 people in the attack last month that triggered Mr Obama's call for military action to punish and degrade the Assad regime. British intelligence said that at least 350 people died in the attack, which was "highly likely" to have been carried out by Assad.

Mr Cameron also warned of the "worst refugee crisis this century". He called on fellow leaders at the summit to give more money. The Prime Minister, denying that he was sidelined, was using the G20 to focus on humanitarian issues and to rattle the tin for more aid, challenging leaders to match the £348 million being given by Britain alone.

He also wants "safe routes" to safeguard aid convoys from being caught up in the civil war, which also requires international pressure on Assad to co-operate.

"We are facing the worst refugee crisis of this century and millions of lives are being destroyed inside in Syria by Assad and his regime," the Prime Minister said. "The world needs to do more to help the innocent victims of this conflict, who dreamt of a democratic and peaceful future but who are now living a nightmare far from their homes and struggling to feed their families and keep them safe.

"I will be using the G20 to ensure their needs are heard and to ensure the international community responds. We must make more money available for aid agencies to help ease the suffering and we must put pressure on both sides in the conflict to improve access so aid workers can get to those who most need help."

Mr Cameron's key calls are for donor countries to fill a massive funding gap identified by humanitarian agencies. He will signal that Britain will lead by example and put more money on the table but that the UK wants others to do more too.

Before You Go

Syria War In August (Warning: Graphic Images)

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