Transcript for Syria may be planning another chemical attack: White House

Let's go straight to the white house. Last night unusually the white house put out a late night warning to Syria and the Assad regime about their chemical weapons. The white house saying Syria's president is potentially preparing another chemical attack on his own people and warning there will be serious consequences if they do. We want to get right to our seen your white house correspondent Cecilia Vega for the latest. Good morning, Cecilia. Reporter: Robin, good morning to you. This is a very stern, very public warning that came overnight from here at the white house. They say that the U.S. Has identified what it calls potential preparation for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime and say it would lead to the mass murder of civilians including innocent children. The white house says it is now seeing similar activity to what prompted that u.s.-lead air strike on that military -- on that air base back in April. This is the new warning from the white house right now. Take a listen. Quote, if Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price." This is an unusual statement in that it comes from press secretary Sean spicer. This is not coming from the Pentagon. This is not coming from the president himself and, robin, we are told that high-level administration officials were caught completely off guard by this attack -- by this statement overnight. Already the international response has been swift. What are you hearing, Cecilia. Reporter: The uk has weighed in already saying it fully supports any U.S. Retaliation for a chemical weapons strike in Syria. The Kremlin on the other hand completely different reaction. It says that it does not know what is the basis for this statement that came out overnight from the white house and that it, quote, categorically disagrees with the U.S. Description of another potential chemical weapons attack in Syria, robin. Details continue to come in. More on this from our

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