MILITARY/POLITICS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has told some members of Congress that he is considering military action in Syria in retaliation for this week’s chemical attack, and recognizes the seriousness of the situation, a source familiar with the calls tells CNN.
The source said the President had not firmly decided to go ahead with it but said he was discussing possible actions with Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Trump is relying on the judgment of Mattis, according to the source.
US officials tell CNN the Pentagon has long-standing options to strike Syria’s chemical weapons capability and has presented those options to the administration.
The sources stressed a decision has not been made.
Trump on Wednesday [4-6-17] called the chemical attack that killed more than 70 people in Syria as a ‘heinous’ act that had changed his views on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
‘Yesterday’s chemical attack, a chemical attack that was so horrific in Syria against innocent people, including women, small children and even beautiful little babies, their deaths were an affront to humanity,’ Trump said, speaking in the Rose Garden alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah.”
-Dana Basg, Jeremy Herb, and Barbra Starr, “Trump considering options for Syria retaliation, source says,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 6, 2017 12:29pm