Congressman says Obama has yet to make a decision on timing, scope of Syria action

WASHINGTON – A Democratic congressman says that President Barack Obama has yet to make any decision on the timing or scope of a possible U.S. military intervention in Syria.

Congressman Eliot Engel of New York is the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He says administration officials told lawmakers in a conference call Thursday that they have “no doubt” that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces used chemical weapons.

Engel says top officials provided limited evidence in the call. He says they talked about intercepted discussions and intelligence showing that Syrian forces moved weapons into position ahead of last week’s attack.

Engel tells The Associated Press that the conversation focused on sharing concerns and the need to prevent the Assad regime from using chemical weapons again.