Australia: We support US strike on Syria

Australia is offering moral support for a military strike in Syria while New Zealand says it needs more information, after US secretary of state John Kerry personally called each country’s foreign minister.

Mr Kerry has been trying to secure at least some international support for a potential US strike after accusing the Syrian government of launching a chemical weapons attack.

Australian foreign minister Bob Carr’s spokesman Patrick Low said Mr Kerry called last week and that Australia supported the US taking action. He said Mr Kerry did not ask for military assistance and Australia did not offer it.

New Zealand prime minister John Key said Mr Kerry called foreign minister Murray McCully over the weekend and that New Zealand wanted to assess all steps taken ahead of a strike before stating its position.