Pentagon officials have begun preparing for possible military strikes inside Syria as President Donald Trump has steadily ramped up rhetoric against Syrian President Bashar Assad in recent days.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump called reported chemical weapons attacks against Syrian citizens by Assad forces "disgrace to humanity" adding that "I guess something should happen" to the Syrian president.
"What Assad did is terrible," he told reporters, according to pool reports. "What happened in Syria is truly one of the egregious crimes and it shouldn't have happened. And it shouldn't be allow to happen."
Trump repeated comments from a day earlier that he would not discuss possible military actions in Syria with the media, echoing his campaign trail criticism of President Obama's foreign policy that often included advance warnings and threats to hostile forces.
In a simultaneous press conference in Washington, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he had no doubt Assad was behind the chemical weapons attack, a possible war crime that killed at least 70 people, including children.
He also called Assad’s role as leader of Syria "uncertain" but stopped short of saying he must be removed from power.
Inside the Pentagon, the services have been reviewing their forces in the region and are preparing to support and course of action directed by the Trump administration in response to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons on his own people.
The Navy has at least two ships in the region capable of launching strikes into Syria, according to a defense official who spoke on background.
"We certainly have options in play and the Navy keeps a persistent presence in the Mediterranean," the official said.
CNN reported that Pentagon officials have long-standing options to strike Syria's chemical weapons capability, and in recent days have presented those plans to administration officials.
Trump has long criticized Obama for failing to act decisively in the region to root out the Islamic State group and other violent extremists, but also promised during his campaign to follow a more limited military role in overseas conflicts than past presidents.
The United States already has more than 500 troops working in Syria, but in missions to combat the Islamic State group, not Assad’s forces.
Syria has been divided by a civil war for the last six years, resulting in the deaths of more than 400,000, according to human rights groups. United Nations officials estimate that more than 4 million refugees have fled fighting in the region, creating a host of immigration challenges for countries across the globe.
David B. Larter was the naval warfare reporter for Defense News.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
