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| U.S. Said to Weigh Military Responses to Syrian Chemical Attack | U.S. Said to Weigh Military Responses to Syrian Chemical Attack |
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| WASHINGTON — Senior Defense Department officials are developing options for a military strike in response to the Syrian government’s chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday, officials said on Thursday. | WASHINGTON — Senior Defense Department officials are developing options for a military strike in response to the Syrian government’s chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday, officials said on Thursday. |
| At the same time, the nation’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, said the devastating chemical weapons attack in Syria made it clear that there was “no role” for President Bashar al-Assad to continue governing his country, and he promised a “serious response” from the United States. | |
| The top-level consultations about military options involve Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as military officers at the United States Central Command. | The top-level consultations about military options involve Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as military officers at the United States Central Command. |
| Mr. Mattis is traveling to Florida, where he is expected to discuss the crisis in Syria with President Trump. Officials said no decisions had been made. | Mr. Mattis is traveling to Florida, where he is expected to discuss the crisis in Syria with President Trump. Officials said no decisions had been made. |
| American intelligence has established with high confidence that a Syrian government aircraft carried out the attack, a senior American official said. | American intelligence has established with high confidence that a Syrian government aircraft carried out the attack, a senior American official said. |
| The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified intelligence and planning. | |
| Mr. Tillerson, who was also in Florida to greet President Xi Jinping of China before a summit meeting with Mr. Trump, said there was “no doubt in our minds” that Mr. Assad’s government was responsible for the chemical attacks that killed scores, including children. | |
| In light of those attacks, he said, “it would seem there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people.” | |
| Mr. Tillerson said Mr. Assad’s departure would have to come about through a “political process,” but he left open the possibility of a military strike by the United States as a response to the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government. | |
| “We are considering an appropriate response for this chemical weapons attack,” Mr. Tillerson told reporters. “A serious matter requires a serious response.” | |
| Mr. Tillerson declined to elaborate on what form such a response might take. Earlier, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, was also cagey about what Mr. Trump was considering in the aftermath of the heartbreaking images from the site of the chemical attacks. | |
| “He is not one to telegraph those issues or options until he is ready to make them,” Mr. Spicer told reporters aboard Air Force One as the president traveled for the summit meeting with Mr. Xi. | |
| Mr. Spicer raised the possibility that Mr. Trump might embrace a greater role in protecting Syrians against attacks like the one this week. He said the president’s No. 1 priority remains protecting Americans, but he added, “That doesn’t mean we can’t support efforts like safe zones throughout Syria.” | |
| Asked whether Mr. Assad should step down, Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that “what happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity, and he’s there, and I guess he’s running things, so I guess something should happen.” | |
| Mr. Trump called the chemical weapons attacks “truly one of the egregious crimes,” but he also declined to say what specific steps he might take to respond. | |
| “I don’t want to say what I’m going to be doing with respect to Syria,” he said. | |
| The possibility of military strikes by the United States in Syria is complicated by the presence of Russian forces in the country. After blaming Mr. Assad and the Syrian government for the chemical attack, Mr. Tillerson warned Russia about its support for Syria. “It is very important that the Russian government consider carefully their continued support for the Assad regime,” he said. | |
| The Obama administration prepared plans to strike Syrian targets with sea-launched cruise missiles after an August 2013 Syrian chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,400 civilians, including hundreds of children. | The Obama administration prepared plans to strike Syrian targets with sea-launched cruise missiles after an August 2013 Syrian chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,400 civilians, including hundreds of children. |
| Those plans were shelved when Mr. Obama decided instead to negotiate an agreement with the Russians to eliminate Syria’s declared chemical weapons arsenal and the equipment to make poison gas. | Those plans were shelved when Mr. Obama decided instead to negotiate an agreement with the Russians to eliminate Syria’s declared chemical weapons arsenal and the equipment to make poison gas. |