US President Barack Obama said Friday he had taken no “final decision” on striking Syria but that the world could not accept the gassing of women and children. Calling Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons a threat to US national security, Obama said the response would be “narrow” and “limited.”\u00a0Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry\u00a0has said Syrian government forces
\nkilled 1,429 people in a chemical weapons attack near Damascus last week.
\nMr Kerry said the dead included 426 children, and described the attack as an “inconceivable horror”.
\nHe did not mention military strikes, and said the government would consult Congress leaders over the next step.
\nThe government of President Bashar al-Assad has denied carrying out the attack and blames rebel forces.
\nUN chemical weapons inspectors are investigating evidence for the chemical attacks and will present their evidence to the UN after they leave Damascus on Saturday.
\nBut Mr Kerry said the US now had the facts, which the government has published in a four-page assessment.
\nKey US intelligence findings
\n\u2022 US estimates the alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus on 21 August killed 1,429 people, including 426 children
\n\u2022 Assesses with “high confidence” that Syrian government carried out the attack against opposition elements
\n\u2022 Laboratory analysis from victims of the incident revealed exposure to the nerve agent, sarin
\n\u2022 Assesses it is “highly unlikely” that opposition forces executed the attack
\n\u2022 Assesses with “high confidence” that Syrian government has carried out multiple chemical weapons attacks on a small scale this year
\n\u2022 Assesses the opposition has not used chemical weapons
\nHe said the evidence showed 1,429 people had been killed. and that regime forces had prepared for the attack three days earlier.
\n“We know rockets came only from regime-controlled areas and landed only in opposition-held areas,” he said. “All of these things we know, the American intelligence community has high confidence.”
\nThe US is pushing for intervention to stop the Syrian government from using chemical weapons.
\nBut the UN Security Council is unlikely to approve any military intervention because permanent member Russia is a close ally of the Syrian government, and has vetoed two previous draft resolutions.
\nThe US was also dealt a blow on Thursday when the UK parliament rejected a motion supporting the principle of military intervention.
\nThe vote rules the UK out of any potential alliance.
\nHowever, US officials said they would continue to
\npush for a coalition, and France said it would support the US.<\/p>\n

-With The Independent<\/span> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

US President Barack Obama said Friday he had taken no “final decision” on striking Syria but that the world could not accept the gassing of women and children. Calling Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons a threat to US national security, Obama said the response would be “narrow” and “limited.”\u00a0Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n