Pentagon Preps for Strike on Syria, Obama Waits for U.N.

CBS News reports the Pentagon is prepping cruise missiles for a possible attack “on Syrian government forces,” but the launch of the missiles seems to be dependent upon Obama getting a thumbs up from the U.N. 

Speaking to CNN on August 23, Obama said:

If the U.S. goes in and attacks another country, without a U.N. mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it. Do we have the coalition to make it work? Those are considerations we have to take into account.

CBS News also reports the U.S. “detected activity at Syria chemical weapons sites before [the] attack” which left hundreds dead in Syria this week. National security adviser Susan Rice sent out a tweet on August 23 describing Syria’s action as “an apparent CW attack.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey is expected to present strike options at a White House meeting on August 24.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.