WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is meeting on Saturday with his national security advisers to consider possible next steps in Syria, a White House official said in a statement.
The meeting is being held at the White House amid reports that the Syrian government used chemical weapons this week in an attack on a Damascus suburb.
“As we have previously stated, the President has directed the intelligence community to gather facts and evidence so that we can determine what occurred in Syria. Once we ascertain the facts, the President will make an informed decision about how to respond,” the White House official said.
“We have a range of options available, and we are going to act very deliberately so that we’re making decisions consistent with our national interest as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria,” the official added.
On Wednesday, Syrian activists accused Assad’s forces of launching a nerve gas attack in the Damascus suburbs, killing large numbers of civilians while ruling regime has dismissed the accusation.
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said Obama had asked the Pentagon to prepare a range of military options for Syria.
The US Navy repositioned a ship armed with cruise missiles in the Mediterranean on Friday and moved forces closer to Syria in anticipation of a possible order for attack by the president.
