Arabi backs UN chief stance on Syria strike

Arab League chief Nabil Arabi expressed support for a stance announced by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday that a possible response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria should be sanctioned by the UN or the UN Security Council. "This stance which is based on international legitimacy under international law and the UN Charter has been asserted by the Arab League in its all decisions pertaining to the Syrian crisis," Arabi said in a statement. The US is currently seeking support from allies to launch a limited military strike to punish the Syrian regime on the alleged use of gas against civilians. But the UN and major powers including Russia and China assert that any use of force will be illegal if it is not under the UN umbrella.