President Obama said Wednesday he still has not decided what action to take against Syria.
“I have gotten options from our military,” Mr. Obama told PBS Newshour. “I have no interest in any kind of open-ended conflict in Syria. But we do have to make sure that when countries break international norms on weapons like chemical weapons that could threaten us, that they are held accountable.”
Mr. Obama said the U.S. has concluded that the Syrian government carried out a large-scale chemical weapons attack against civilians last week.
The president said the U.S. has examined evidence and doesn’t believe the opposition fighting the Syrian government possessed chemical weapons or the means to deliver them.
The White House said it’s planning a possible military response while seeking support from international partners. But the U.S. has not yet presented concrete proof of Syrian government involvement in the attack.
Some lawmakers are calling for Obama to seek congressional approval for a military action, as well as take more steps to arm Syrian rebels in their battle against the regime of President Bashar Assad, regardless of what decision President Obama reaches on whether to conduct military strikes.
SEE ALSO: Congress presses Obama to aid Syrian rebels
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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