escalation

U.S. Warships Move Toward Syria

In case the Pentagon orders a cruise missile attack.

As the Obama administration weighed a military response to the Syrian conflict, the commander of U.S. forces in the Mediterranean has ordered warships closer to Syria in case the Pentagon green lights a cruise missile strike. Tomorrow, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey is expected to present options for a strike. The news of a possible escalation came a day after reports of a suspected chemical-weapons attack that killed hundreds of civilians in the war-torn country. In an interview with CNN Friday, Obama said U.S. officials were gathering information on yesterday's attack, but that "what we've seen indicates that this is clearly a big event of grave concern."