The Obama administration painted a horrific portrait in remarks Friday of a brutal Syrian regime willing to commit a "crime against conscience," as Secretary of State John Kerry called the use of chemical weapons, against its own people. Kerry said the U.S. has "high confidence" that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom he termed a "thug and a murderer," had launched a chemical attack that killed 1,429 Syrians, including 426 children, in a Damascus suburb. Soon after Kerry spoke, President Barack Obama said he hasn't made a final decision about a military strike against Syria but is considering a "limited, narrow" action in response to the chemical weapons attack, which he said was a challenge to the world and threatens U.S. national security. Meanwhile, U.N. inspectors made an early departure from Syria after collecting samples and evidence to determine whether chemical weapons were used in the Aug. 21 attack, further fueling speculation that the U.S. is preparing an attack.
