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President Barack Obama last month warned the Syrian government that using or moving chemical weapons would be seen as a step that was so serious it could trigger a U.S. military response.
At an Aug. 20 press conference, Obama said "at this point" he has "not ordered military engagement," but emphasized that "[w]e cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people."
He said the United States "has communicated in no uncertain terms with every player in the region that that's a redline for us and that there would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons. That would change my calculations significantly."
Obama's comments came as the civil conflict in Syria worsens and President Bashar al-Assad's hold on power appears to be increasingly tenuous. The situation has led governments and independent experts to worry about the possibility that Syrian government forces might use the weapons or that the weapons could spread to other states or nonstate groups, by Syrian design or inability to secure them.
The U.S. military reportedly...