29/08/2013 10:00
President Obama 'sure Syria behind chemical attack'
US President Barack Obama says the US has concluded that the Syrian government carried out chemical weapons attacks near Damascus, BBC reported.
He said the use of chemical weapons affected US national interests and sending a "shot across the bows" could have a positive impact on Syria's war.
But in the interview with PBS, he said he had not yet made a decision about whether to intervene militarily.
His comments follow a day of behind-the-scenes wrangling at the UN.
The UK had been pushing for permanent members of the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution which would have authorised measures to protect civilians in Syria.
However, Syrian ally Russia refused to agree to the resolution and the meeting produced no end to the diplomatic stalemate which has long characterised the UN position on Syria.
The US State Department criticised "Russian intransigence" and said it could not allow diplomatic paralysis to serve as a shield for the Syrian leadership.