REPORT: Obama has not decided on military action in Syria

           

President Barack Obama and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke by phone on Tuesday about the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government and pledged to  consult closely on potential responses, the White House said.
 
This as U.S. President Barack Obama has not made a decision to order military strikes against the Syrian government in response to last week's alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus, a senior administration official said.            

The assertion by the U.S. official, which echoed the White House's comments on Monday, came amid mounting signs that Washington and its allies are edging toward a limited use of force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists.         

"The US military is ready to act immediately should President Barack Obama order action against Syria over a chemical weapons attack," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a television interview with the BBC.         

Earlier, Western powers told the Syrian opposition to expect a strike against President Bashar al-Assad's forces within days, according to sources who attended a meeting between envoys and the Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul.         

This as British Prime Minister David Cameron is recalling members of Britain's lower house of parliament from their summer break to give them a chance to discuss how best to respond to a suspected chemical attack in Syria, a spokesman from his office said.   

Prime Minister David Cameron's office said that the UK is considering a "proportionate" response that would deter Syrian President Bashar Assad from using chemical weapons in the future.       

The British government also said its military is drawing up contingency plans for a possible military attack on Syria. Britain's Ministry of Defense said that a planned Royal Air Force training mission involving British Typhoon fighter jets has been postponed. The jets were to have been deployed on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.                   

Gatilov made clear on Twitter that the United States had taken the decision unilaterally to postpone the meeting and said this was "regrettable".    

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the world cannot turn a blind eye to the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria.         

Condemning Syria's last week alleged chemical weapons use near the Syrian capital Damascus, Rudd said the attack "would not be without consequence."    

Meanwhile, United Nations inspectors investigating suspected chemical weapons attacks in Syria have postponed their next site visit until Wednesday, a U.N. statement said on Tuesday.         

"Following yesterday's attack on the UN convoy, a comprehensive assessment determined that the visit should be postponed by one day in order to improve preparedness and safety for the team. Considering the complexities of the site, confirmation of access has not been obtained but is expected later today." it said. The UN experts came under sniper fire on their way to a site visit on Monday.        

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who sent the team to Syria after allegations of poison gas attacks on civilians, urged all sides in the conflict to give the team safe passage and access, the statement said.        

This as a spokesman for the World Health Organization said it has rushed out new guidelines for treating victims of chemical warfare agents like those purportedly used in the Aug. 21 attack in the suburbs of Damascus.      

Spokesman Glenn Thomas said that the specific guidelines were being prepared before the UN's chemical inspection team, which includes three WHO staffers, began working in Syria this week.       

 
REUTERS/AP


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