The U.S. and its allies are "still assessing the intelligence" needed to prove Syrian government conducted a recent alleged chemical attack in Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Wednesday.
When asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for last weekend's alleged chemical weapons attack in the city of Douma, "Mad Dog" Mattis said, “We are still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies. We’re still working on this," referring to France and the United Kingdom.
The story was promptly picked up by the White Helmets, which were posting unverified footage of the aftermath of the alleged attack, with claims that up to 70 people had died of "widespread suffocation."
However, Mattis reiterated U.S. President Donald Trump's attitude to the issue, saying the Pentagon was ready "to provide military options if they are appropriate as the president determines," NBC News reported.
Trump vowed on Twitter that missiles would be launched at Syria following Saturday's alleged chemical attack.
