潘基文籲西方國家推遲行動等候調查結果

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging world powers to hold off on possible military action against Syria until a U.N chemical weapons inspection team completes its work in the country.

Mr. Ban said Thursday that the team will leave the country by Saturday and report its findings to him.

He said "diplomacy should be given a chance" as the U.S. and other Western powers consider their response to the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians last week.

The U.N. team left Damascus in a convoy on Thursday to begin its third day of inspections.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is meeting with parliament on Thursday to discuss the Syria situation.

Amid mounting pressure from lawmakers, his government said Wednesday that Britain would not take part in any military action against Syria until the U.N. team had a chance to report its findings.

In Washington, White House officials plan to brief members of Congress, on Thursday, about intelligence on the alleged poison gas attacks that killed hundreds of civilians in Damascus suburbs.

The Syrian government denies having any role in the alleged attacks. And state media reports say Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday his country would defend itself against any aggression and emerge "victorious."

Iran warned any Western action against Syria would result in the "imminent destruction of Israel," a U.S. ally in the region.聯合國祕書長潘基文敦促世界強國在聯合國武器檢查小組完成在敘利亞的調查之前，推遲對敘利亞採取可能的軍事行動。

潘基文星期四說，聯合國小組定於星期六以前離開敘利亞，並向他報告調查結果。他說，應當給外交一個機會。

美國等西方國家正在考慮如何對敘利亞當局據說上週對平民使用化學武器作出反應。

聯合國調查小組星期四乘車離開大馬士革，進行第三天的實地調查。

在英國，卡梅倫首相星期四與議會討論敘利亞局勢。在議會日益增長的壓力下，英國政府星期三表示，在聯合國小組提交調查結果之前，英國不會參與任何針對敘利亞的軍事行動。

在華盛頓，白宮官員計劃星期四向國會介紹有關大馬士革郊區化學武器襲擊的情報。有幾百名平民在襲擊中喪生。

敘利亞政府否認動用了化學武器。敘利亞國有媒體報道說，敘利亞總統阿薩德星期四說，敘利亞將抵抗任何入侵，並取得勝利。

伊朗警告說，西方國家對敘利亞採取任何行動都會使美國在這個地區的盟友以色列“面臨滅亡”。