Trump considers war after Syria chemical attack
Olivier Knox Chief Washington Correspondent • Yahoo News April 7, 2017 WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday considered whether to unleash American military might to punish Syrian strongman Bashar Assad after a chemical attack this week that killed dozens of civilians, including children , and drew global outrage. As Trump weighed the use of force, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the president had also begun a difficult diplomatic campaign to remove Assad from power. Privately, top U.S. officials dismissed the notion that Trump planned to forcibly remove Assad. One top administration official told Yahoo News that any strikes under consideration would be designed “as a response” to Tuesday’s attack in a mostly rebel-controlled area near the Turkish border — not for “regime change” in Damascus. President Trump. (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters) More The chemical attack is “a serious matter, it requires a serious response,” Tillerson told reporters