U.S. President Barack Obama said there is evidence that chemical weapons have been used in Syria and his administration might need to rethink its different options that are available with regard to how to handle it best in Syria.
Obama had a press conference on Tuesday at the White House and said Pentagon officials and other security agencies were told to make the necessary preparations for possible action if in fact Syria had crossed the “red line” by using chemical weapons.
Obama said evidence showed that chemicals had been used in Syria, but how they were used is unknown as well as when they had been used and by whom.
The current Syria regime led by President Bashar al-Assad has been accused a number of times of using different weapons that were loaded with nerve agents in civilian areas during the two-year long civil war.
Obama said it is important to get all the facts, as that is what people in the U.S. would expect of him. The president said if he were able to establish that not just the U.S. but also the international community is confident that chemical weapons had been used by the current regime, then it would be a game changer.
Obama said he could not rule out eventual military action by the U.S., but said he would remain cautious for now.
Obama said he told the Pentagon, the military and other officials in intelligence to prepare all the options for him that could be available, but did not elaborate on the types or details of those options.
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