NEW YORK—A ghastly chemical attack appears to be pushing the Syrian civil war toward a new turning point, with the new U.S. administration switching course, hinting at military action and vowing to lead an international coalition to oust Bashar Assad.

While expressing horror over this week’s attack, which killed more than 80 people, including children, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered little hint about Canada’s role in any effort to remove the Syrian strongman.

“This is a war crime and the international community must stand firmly against such things,” Trudeau said Thursday after a day of meetings in New York.

“We condemn in the strongest of terms (these) heinous attacks against civilians, children, by chemical weapons.”

He promised Canada would be involved in the United Nations process to investigate and punish the perpetrators of the chemical attack that killed civilians, as seen in grotesque images that have shocked the world.

The Trump administration was already assigning blame.

It also appeared ready to act, in a dramatic shift in posture. After repeatedly expressing disinterest in removing Assad, and frequently declaring that America’s sole interest in Syria was defeating terrorist groups, not toppling its oppressive government, Trump’s team signalled a course correction: it now wants Assad gone.

“I think what happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity... so something should happen,” U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday aboard Air Force One.

His secretary of state went further.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a photo opportunity at the U.N.

Rex Tillerson said a coalition-building effort has already begun, with the aim of ousting Assad. He did not specify whether the effort would be primarily diplomatic, military, or both — but he made clear it’s underway.

“There would be no role for (Assad) to govern the Syrian people,” Tillerson said, reversing his own statements of a few days earlier.

Asked whether he was organizing an international coalition, he replied: “Those steps are underway.”

That was an apparent flip-flop from his statement a few days earlier that Assad’s fate was up to the Syrian people. That was before gas was dropped on the city of Khan Sheikhoun, one of the few remaining rebel strongholds.

Some of Tillerson’s critics blamed his laissez-faire statement for emboldening Assad. Yet the Trump administration also blamed past president Barack Obama, who famously declared chemical weapons a red line not to be crossed — then backed down.

It’s unclear whether something else has changed since Obama’s presidency: Russia’s role.

The Kremlin convinced the U.S. in 2013 not to attack, on the promise that it could collect the Syrian chemical arsenal. It has continued to support him, consistently holding off international efforts at regime-change.

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That may be eroding — perhaps.

The Kremlin is still sending mixed messages. On the one hand, the Russian government says its support for Assad is “not unconditional.” On the other hand, a spokesman says he’s Syria’s legitimate leader; also, Russia Today reports that President Vladimir Putin has said it would be unacceptable to make “groundless” accusations about Assad’s role, without proof.

Trudeau was asked whether he doubted this was Assad’s work — he didn’t reply directly; he said simply that it’s important to have all the facts before moving ahead.

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The prime minister was in New York on Thursday for meetings with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and Antonio Guterres, the new secretary general of the United Nations. He also participated in two roundtable discussions and a public interview with media executive Tina Brown.

At his meeting with Wojcicki, Trudeau said he was happy to chat with the head of YouTube about attracting innovative businesses to Canada and building a larger international market for Canadian content-creators.

“There’s an awful lot to talk about — but I’m here fundamentally and proprietarily today to talk about how we can get more successful women into the workforce, how we can make sure we’re reducing barriers so everyone can contribute,” Trudeau said as they sat down.

Wojcicki echoed the sentiment. She said she was happy to discuss content creation, but also wanted to discuss a long-standing concern of hers: “It’s been an issue for a long time — that we don’t have enough women in technology. I really see this as a societal issue.”

The backdrop of his visit: the annual Women In The World Summit. At one discussion with female business leaders, he touted the idea of getting more women into corporate boardrooms.

“This is part of a habit — a good habit — I’ve developed, wherever I go, to sit down with extraordinary leaders, particularly in business, who happen to be women and talk about what more we can do,” Trudeau said at a morning roundtable with female business leaders.

It’s the prime minister’s fourth U.S. visit of 2017. He’s recently visited the White House, attended an energy conference in Houston and took in a Canadian-themed Broadway play in the company of dignitaries including Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

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