Obama Says U.S. Has 'Concluded' Syrian Gov't Carried Out Deadly Chemical Attack, Presents No Direct Evidence

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is declaring unequivocally that the United States has "concluded" that the Syrian government carried out a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians last week.

Obama did not present any direct evidence to back up his assertions. He said he is still evaluating options for possible military retaliation, but vowed that any American response would send a "strong signal" to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Obama said in a PBS interview that the U.S. has concluded that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack and "there need to be international consequences."

The president says he's not seeking a lengthy, open-ended conflict in Syria, indicating that any U.S. response would be limited in scope.

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