Removing Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in response to his latest chemical weapons attack would exacerbate chaos from the country's long running civil war and could see an even more dangerous leader installed, a former Australian ambassador in the region has warned.
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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop joined condemnation of the gas attack against the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, in which the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 58 civilians, including 11 children, were.
Mr Turnbull said al-Assad was found to be behind the attack, as the United States believe, it represented "a shocking war crime".
Australia's former ambassador to Egypt and Syrian researcher Robert Bowker said calls of condemnation and removal of Assad were pointless, despite his illegal and immoral activity.
"When it comes to the question of Assad's personal responsibility and role, there is no realistic and credible means by which he can be replaced and a process seeking that outcome would benefit the overall interests of the parties in contention in Syria better than leaving his regime in place," he said.
"Quite frankly there are worse people than Assad within that regime and you simply don't know what you'd get if he were to be replaced."
Representing Australia in Egypt between 2005 and 2008, Dr Bowker also served as ambassador to Jordan and as an adjunct professor at Australian National University' Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies.
He said the west was increasingly aware of the consequences of removing Assad, who has ruled Syria since 2000, predicting the United States could eventually work successfully with Russia and Iran to resolve the conflict.
"When you see Assad using chemical weapons in circumstances which are well short of posing an existential threat to his regime, you do seriously have to ask where he may use those weapons in the future," Dr Bowker said.
Speaking during a visit to Tasmania on Wednesday, Mr Turnbull said Australia further international sanctions could be required.
"If the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, as is being alleged, that constitutes a war crime, it constitutes a shocking war crime," Mr Turnbull said.
"The Assad regime must end their production and the use of chemical weapons immediately. We co-sponsored a resolution at the UN General Assembly establishing an independent mechanism for collecting evidence on crimes of this kind committed in Syria.
"We absolutely support the measures to ensure those responsible for this use of chemical weapons are held accountable."
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong issued a statement calling the attack "a barbaric and criminal act".
The pair used a statement to call for an urgent UN Security Council meeting and immediate action against those responsible.
"This attack again highlights the brutality of the Assad regime towards its own people, and confirms it should have no place in a future, stable post-war Syria.
"Labor calls on Russia to use its influence on the Assad regime to prevent further attacks against Syria's innocent civilian population."
