US Not Waiting for UN to Respond on Syria

The United States says it will not wait
for the United Nations to respond to the
suspected chemical weapons attack in
Syria. The Obama administration is
building an alliance outside the U.N. as
it considers possible military action
against Syria.

Deputy State Department spokeswoman
Marie Harf said the president is not
waiting for the United Nations to decide
what to do about Syria. "We are making
our own decisions on our own timeline,
and we believe that the U.N. inspection
has passed the point where it can be
credible," she said.

That inspection of last week's attack
outside Damascus is meant only to
confirm the use of chemical weapons,
not to determine who is responsible.
Washington has already determined that
President Bashar al-Assad's forces are
responsible so Harf said they must be
held accountable.

She said Obama is deciding how. "The
president has a range of military
contingencies on his table regarding
Syria for when and if he would ever
need to use them. Again, we're not
talking about boots on the ground. We're
not talking about no-fly zones at this
point."
Syria's government denies involvement
in last week's attack and says the
United States is trying to use allegations
of chemical weapons as a pretext for
striking Syria. If attacked, Foreign
Minister Walid al-Moallem said Syria
will defend itself using "all means
available."

As Obama draws closer to the possible
use of military force in Syria, some U.S.
lawmakers are demanding that he seek
authorization from Congress.
Harf said congressional leaders will get
a classified intelligence briefing before
U.S. action. She said the administration
continues to consult closely with
lawmakers and foreign allies.

"Look at the dozens and dozens of calls
and discussions that Secretary Kerry,
the president, Secretary Hagel have had
with our counterparts across the world,
whether its NATO, the Arab League, a
host of countries in the Middle East, in
Europe, elsewhere. Clearly, we are
consulting the international community
and a broad range of international
partners on the best course forward,"
she said.

Facing Russian opposition to a U.N.
authorization of force in Syria, Harf said
Washington will take its own
"appropriate actions to respond in the
days ahead."

Deputy State Department spokeswoman