US still defining objectives of strike on Syria

US still defining objectives of strike on Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is still defining the central objectives of a potential military strike on Syria and considering possible Syrian government reprisals, even as U.S. intelligence agencies prepare additional evidence to show the Bashar Assad government’s responsibility for last week’s alleged chemical weapons attack, two senior administration officials said today. One of the officials also said the administration is considering more than a single set of military strikes. “The options are not limited just to one day” of strikes, the official said, adding that no additional U.S. defensive weapons have been deployed in the region in anticipation of Syria reprisals. The U.S. already has Patriot anti-missile batteries in Jordan and Turkey.