President Donald Trump slammed Tuesday's Syrian chemical attack as "reprehensible" and blamed it on former President Barack Obama's failure to follow through with President Bashar al-Assad after he crossed the "red line" with an assault in 2013.
"Today's chemical attack in Syria against innocent people, including women and children, is reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilized world," Trump said in a statement. "These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution.
"President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a 'red line' against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing."
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 58 people, including 11 children, were killed in a morning attack in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria.
The assault, which left residents gasping for breath and convulsing in the streets and overcrowded hospitals, was carried out by Sukhoi jets operated by the Russian and Syrian governments.
If confirmed, the attack would be the deadliest chemical attack in four years, the British-based observatory said.
Russian officials have denied participating in the assault.
In 2012, Obama gave the Assad government an ultimatum that using chemical weapons in any way would result in consequences, but those never occurred after an attack the following year.
"The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this intolerable attack," Trump said.
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