Raising the bar for direct U.S. involvement in
’s
civil war, President Obama said Tuesday that he won’t take more
forceful action until the international community is convinced that the
regime of
used chemical weapons.
Mr. Obama’s comments at a
“If I can establish, in a way that not only the United States but
also the international community feel confident is the use of chemical
weapons by the Assad regime, then that is a game changer,” Mr. Obama
said. “That wasn’t a position unique to the United States.”
He backed off on the same day that the commercial heart of Damascus was hit by a deadly bombing and that the Shiite leader of
Lebanon’s
Hezbollah militants hinted that his Iranian-backed group would join the conflict on
Mr. Assad’s side should the need arise.
The
White House told lawmakers last week that
U.S. intelligence agencies suspect chemical weapons, most likely sarin gas, have been used during the 2-year-old conflict.
Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, and other lawmakers have urged the administration to create a “no-fly” zone over
Syria to protect civilians from further attacks.
Mr. McCain and
Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said in a statement that Mr. Obama is undermining U.S. credibility and failing to save lives.
“The credibility of the United States is on the line, not just with
Syria, but with
Iran,
North Korea,
and all of our enemies and friends who are watching closely to see
whether the president backs up his words with action,” they said.
“Unfortunately, the red line has been blurred with each passing day.”
Addressing a news report that the administration is preparing to send lethal weaponry to the Syrian opposition,
National Security Council spokeswoman
Caitlin Hayden
said Mr. Obama “has directed his national security team to identify
additional measures so that we can continue to increase our assistance.”
“We
continue to consider all other possible options that would accomplish
our objective of hastening a political transition, but have no new
announcements at this time,” she said.
Ever since the report of chemical weapons became public, the
White House has been tamping down expectations of more aggressive U.S. action and reminding the public that the 2003 invasion of
Iraq was based on faulty reports of weapons of mass destruction.
Administration officials now say they want more proof that chemical weapons were used in
Syria, and Mr. Obama elaborated on that position Tuesday.
“We
don’t know how they were used, when they were used, who used them,” the
president said. “We don’t have a chain of custody that establishes what
exactly happened. And when I am making decisions about America’s
national security and the potential for taking additional action in
response to chemical weapon use, I’ve got to make sure I’ve got the
facts.”
White House officials also have said that verification of chemical weapons could hinge on the
Syrian government’s
willingness to allow international inspectors on the ground. They said
they have no timetable for proving or disproving the reports.
An anti-
Assad activist said Mr. Obama’s position guarantees that
Syria won’t be held accountable for the suspected use of chemical weapons.
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