The West appears prepared to strike Syrian military infrastructure perhaps as soon as this week, amid threats by both Damascus and its Iranian patrons to respond to Western action by attacking Israel and with “surprises.” 

Syria vowed defiantly to defend itself against any attack with “surprise” measures, while its close ally Russia warned that any use of force would have “catastrophic consequences” in the region.

Both U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron are being presented with a range of contingency plans for degrading assets of the Bashar al-Assad regime, which is widely believed to have last week crossed Washington’s long-standing red line against the use of chemical weapons with an attack on rebel-controlled Damascus suburbs.

French President Francois Hollande described the chemical attack as a threat to “world peace.”

“France is ready to punish those who took the vile decision to gas innocent people,” Hollande said in a televised speech, pointing the finger of blame at President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“Our responsibility today is to look for the most appropriate response to the exactions of the regime,” Hollande said, adding that the “chemical massacre in Damascus cannot be left without a response.”

The extent to which London and Paris will be involved in any military action is unclear. Cameron still needs to weather a parliamentary debate on the issue – he has recalled parliament into session – and Hollande has only declared that France will boost support to the Syrian opposition.

For its part Washington is declaring that no decision has been made regarding military action, but the U.S. naval mobilization in the region makes it unlikely that the administration will stop short of at least limited strikes.

[Photo: Michael Starkey / Wikimedia.org]