Obama won't use military strike to oust Assad

Aamer Madhani | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Should the U.S. strike Syria? | USA NOW video Natalie DiBlasio hosts USA NOW for Aug. 27, talking to USA TODAY World Editor William Dermody about Syria and what's next for the Obama administration.

White House spokesman says aim of whatever actions the U.S. takes will be limited.

Obama has long called for Assad to step down%2C but response options %22are not about regime change.%22

Intelligence report on last week%27s chemical attack may be released this week.

WASHINGTON — As President Obama weighs with his national security team how he will respond to Syria's suspected use of chemical weapons, his chief spokesman said Tuesday that the actions Obama is contemplating won't lead to the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The White House continued to publicly maintain Tuesday that Obama has made no decision on the nature of his response to the Assad regime, even as lawmakers and government officials warned that a limited military strike against Syria is imminent.

At the same time, the White House sought to make clear that whatever Obama decides, the aim of his actions will be limited.

Obama has long called for the ouster of Assad and his administration has demanded accountability in the aftermath of last week's chemical attack on the outskirts of Damascus. But White House spokesman Jay Carney stated plainly that Obama is not considering using American military might to oust Assad.

"I want to make clear that the options that we are considering are not about regime change," Carney said while reiterating that Obama continues to believe the 2½-year conflict must end with Assad out of power. "They are about responding to a clear violation of international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons."

Pressed by reporters on why Obama has ruled out using U.S. action to topple Assad, Carney responded, "It is not our policy position to respond to this through regime change. We will take an appropriate response, and the president and his team are evaluating the options to them. And the president will make an assessment and an announcement in due time."

Meanwhile, Carney said that an intelligence report detailing what the administration knows about last week's chemical attack would likely be released this week. The report could provide Obama with the legal and moral evidence to carry out a strike without seeking approval from United Nations or Congress.

Carney sidestepped questions on whether Obama felt there was a need to seek backing from the U.N. before carrying out its response to Syria. At the same time, Carney stressed that "there isn't any doubt" that chemical weapons were use on a "significant scale" establishing Syria's transgression

"Broadly speaking, I think it's important to note that it's in the clear national security interests of the United States that the use and proliferation of chemical weapons on this scale not go unanswered," Carney said.

Obama and Vice President Biden continued to reach out to allies Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria. The president spoke by phone with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper while Biden called Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to discuss the situation.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke with his counterparts in Great Britain and France — two close allies who have called for intervention in Syria — to discuss the recent chemical weapons attack, raising speculation that a military strike against the Assad regime is imminent.