A US government official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that all military options currently under consideration by President Barack Obama against Syria are aimed at punishing the perpetrators of last week's chemical attack outside Damascus, as well as inhibiting their ability to conduct further gas attacks.
“The purpose is a response to the use of chemical weapons," the official said. "We are not contemplating any action aimed at regime change.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney told journalists on Tuesday that the use of chemical weapons in Syria on a massive scale by its nominal president, Bashar Assad, demands a response from the international community.
"There is no doubt here that chemical weapons were used on a massive scale on August 21 outside of Damascus," Carney said."There is also very little doubt, and should be no doubt, for anyone who approaches this logically, that the Syrian regime is responsible."
Carney called Assad's actions a "flagrant violation of international norms" and a redline set out by 198 nations.
"There must be a response," Carney said. "We cannot allow this kind of violation of an international norm."
But the White House reiterated that the president does not believe there is a military solution to the Syrian civil war, and added that "a decision about the use of military force has not been made" in response to last week's events.