France: we can strike against Syria without UK

French President Francois Hollande says his country can go ahead with plans to strike Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons despite the British parliament’s failure to endorse military action.

“The chemical massacre of Damascus cannot and must not remain unpunished,” Mr Hollande said in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, published today.

He reiterated that France wants a “proportional and firm action” but said when asked about the type of intervention that “all options are on the table.”

Meanwhile, the head of the Western-backed Syrian opposition has said the British Parliament’s failure to endorse military action in Syria is not enough to hold back strikes by other allies.

Ahmad al-Jarba told France-Inter radio that he was not surprised by the vote that effectively removes Britain from a coalition of Western allies looking to punish Bashar Assad with military strikes for his regime’s alleged responsibility in an apparent chemical attack.

Mr al-Jarba said that strikes contemplated by the United States, France, and, originally, Britain are a moral responsibility that can level the playing field militarily.

He said that “strikes can paralyse a large part of the regime and raise morale” within the opposition.

As for Britain’s vote, he said: “This won’t (stop) Syria’s allies from ending injustice.”