Trump vows imminent decision on Syria

“It was an atrocious attack. It was horrible,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Monday. “This is about humanity and it can’t be allowed to happen.”

He further asserted that some sort of decision would be made “probably by the end of today.”

“If it’s the Russians, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out,” he said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin “may” be responsible for the alleged attack as well.

“Everybody is going to pay a price. He will, everybody will,” said the president.

Russia has dismissed as “bogus” reports of the chemical gas attack in Eastern Ghouta, while Damascus maintains that it has not launched any chemical attacks.

Iran has strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons by any country in any part of the world, saying claims about a chemical attack by the Syrian government in Eastern Ghouta are "conspiratorial and illogical."

The alleged attack was launched not long after Trump called for withdrawal of US troops from war-ravaged Syria.

Trump has reportedly been butting heads with his military advisers who disagree with immediate withdrawal.

He was expected to discuss the issue with his military and security advisors before a decision.

The US has so far failed to offer any evidence in regard to the attack and the alleged role of Damascus or Iran or Russia.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, however, that the attack is "consistent" with Syria’s "established pattern of chemical weapons use."

She repeated baseless claims that Russia and Iran "also bear responsibility for these acts."

KD