The US-led air strikes against the Syrian regime also sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of talks with President Donald Trump, Japan's defense minister said Friday.

Observers have suggested the strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could strengthen Trump's hand in talks, as they showed Kim that the West has the political will to back up its rhetoric -- as well as the capability for precise strikes launched from afar.

"This is an action that was taken against weapons of mass destruction, and I think this gave a certain message to North Korea as well," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said through an interpreter.

Mattis said last week's strikes on three facilities tied to Assad's chemical weapons program had garnered broad international backing.

"Let me address Assad, should he ignore the international community," Mattis said.

"There has been full support for that regrettable but necessary attack on his research and engineering part of his weapons program -- weapons of mass destruction. He would be ill-advised to ignore the international community's statement, and we stand ready to address anything in the future."

Onodera was at the Pentagon for a meeting with Mattis, who said the US-Japan alliance was "the cornerstone for peace and security" throughout the Pacific region.

"Together we are carefully reviewing a possible new path to peace, and at the same time we remain vigilant," he said, referring to North Korea.

Onodera said the US and Japan must work "synergetically" along with the international community to "make North Korea abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Trump and Kim are expected to have talks around Kim's nuclear program in late May or June. The location of what would be a historic summit has not yet been disclosed.

Western air strikes in Syria illegal: German parliament experts
Berlin (AFP) April 20, 2018 - The air strikes unleashed in Syria by Western allies in mid-April were a violation of international law, jurists at the German parliament said in a report Friday.

"The use of military force against a state, as a sanction against the violation of an international convention by this state, is an infringement of the prohibition of the use of violence in international law," said the Bundestag experts in a reply to a question filed by the far-left Die Linke party.

The Bundestag experts referred in particular to the United Nations declaration from their 1970 general assembly which stresses "the duty of States to refrain in their international relations from military, political, economic or any other form of coercion aimed against the political independence or territorial integrity of any State".

The UN Security Council had also rejected armed retaliation, calling it "incompatible with the objectives and the principles of the United Nations."

The legal motive put forward by Britain, which joined in the air strikes alongside the United States and France, was also "not convincing," said the Bundestag experts.

London said it was "both right and legal" to launch strikes to alleviate humanitarian suffering.

But the experts said there were questions over "whether the military attacks are really appropriate to prevent further suffering" in Syria.

On April 14, the United States, France and Britain fired missiles meant as a response to what the trio of nations said was evidence Damascus had used chemical weapons a week earlier.

Purported footage of victims foaming at the mouth after the April 7 attack sparked an outcry and prompted the West to launch its biggest military action yet against Assad's regime.

But the military action was carried out without the approval of the UN Security Council, where Assad's ally Russia has a permanent seat and veto.

Germany did not join in the air strikes but Chancellor Angela Merkel called the military action "necessary and appropriate".

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Mattis disputes report he wanted Congress to approve Syria strike
Washington (AFP) April 18, 2018
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday disputed a report saying he had unsuccessfully urged President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval ahead of last week's air strikes in Syria. Citing anonymous military and administration officials, The New York Times said Mattis had recommended Trump get approval from lawmakers before launching Friday's cruise missile barrage against three targets the Pentagon said were tied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons program. "I ha ... read more