Caitlin Hayden, National Security Council spokeswoman, said the United States would continue to consult with Britain but Obama would make decisions based on “the best interests of the United States.”
“As we’ve said, President Obama’s decision making will be guided by what is in the best interests of the United States,” Hayden said. “He believes that there are core interests at stake for the United States. He believes that there are core interests at stake for the United States and that countries who violate international norms regarding chemical weapons need to be held accountable.”
U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said after a White House teleconference with some Congress members Thursday, “The main thing was that they have no doubt that (Syrian President Bashar) Assad’s forces used chemical weapons.”
He said administration officials did not provide new evidence but revealed the government has intercepted “some discussions and some indications from a high-level official” in Syria regarding use of gas.