My attitude towards Syria and (Syrian President) Assad has changed very much, says the U.S. President

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the suspected “horrible” chemical attack in Syria that left over 70 people dead cannot be tolerated and it has crossed “many many lines”.

“Attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me.

That was a horrible, horrible thing. I have been watching it, seeing it. ..my attitude towards Syria and (Syrian President) Assad has changed very much,” Mr. Trump told reporters at a joint Rose Garden news conference with the visiting King Abdullah of Jordan.

Also Read All evidence points to Assad behind suspected chemical attack: UK

Responding to a series of questions on the Syrian chemical attack, Mr. Trump indicated that he is going to adopt a much tougher approach against the authoritarian Syrian regime, but he did not gave any indication of what steps plans to take after the horrible chemical attacks against innocent people.

“Chemical attack was so horrific in Syria against innocent people, including women, small children, and even beautiful little babies. Their deaths was an affront to humanity. These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated,” Mr. Trump said.

At least 75 civilians, including 20 children, died in a suspected chemical attack on Tuesday in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province in the northwest.

“The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this horrific attack and all other horrific attacks, for that matter,” said the US President as he indicated that he would be adopting a much tough attitude against the Syrian regime.

“These are very troubled times in the Middle East. And we see what happened just recently, yesterday in Syria. Horrible.

Horrible thing. Unspeakable,” Mr. Trump said.

He described the use of chemical weapons against people as a “terrible affront to humanity”.

“Terrible. Terrible. It is a terrible affront to humanity. I can tell you. Terrible,” he said.

“You’ll see,” Mr. Trump said when asked if he has any change of policy on the Syrian conflict.

“It crossed a lot of lines for me,” Mr. Trump said when he was asked about the Red Line set by his predecessor Barack Obama.

“When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, babies, little babies, with a chemical gas that is so lethal, people were shocked to hear what gas it was, that crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line. Many, many lines,” he said.

Mr.Trump said he is responsible for the US reaction to the chemical attacks.

Earlier, Mr. Trump alleged such acts are consequences of the Obama administration’s weakness.

“Today’s (Tuesday) chemical attack in Syria against innocent people, including women and children, is reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilised world,” Mr. Trump had said in a statement on Tuesday..

“These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime is a consequence of the past administration’s weakness and irresolution,” he said.

‘Difficult options for Trump’

Meanwhile, Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that after six years of indecision and inaction, Mr. Trump has been left with no easy options in Syria.

“Yet as difficult and complex as our challenges are, President Trump and his administration have an opportunity to finally change course and take action to address this strategic and humanitarian disaster, which has led to more than 400,000 Syrians killed and six million displaced,” McCain said.

“Seizing this opportunity will require answering some very difficult strategic questions. But until we do, the war, the terror, and the refugees will continue, and America’s national security interests will be placed at greater risk,” he said.

McCain said the chemical attack against innocent men, women and children in Syria is just the latest evidence that the Obama Administration’s much-lauded agreement with Russia to eliminate the Assad regime’s chemical weapons stockpile was flawed and incomplete.

“As we once again bear witness to innocent people writhing on the ground and gasping for breath, we know Assad not only disregarded his chemical weapons commitments, but continues to carry on mass atrocities with impunity. Unless and until Assad pays a price for his brutality, the slaughter and destruction in Syria will go on,” he said.