Hollande tells Obama all points to Damascus' responsibility for attack

WASHINGTON/PARIS: President Barack Obama discussed a possible coordinated international response to the reported use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria with French President Francois Hollande, the White House said on Sunday.

"President Obama and President Hollande discussed possible responses by the international community and agreed to continue to consult closely," the White House said in a statement.

The two leaders expressed grave concern about the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's forces against civilians near Damascus on Wednesday, the White House said, without giving any further details of the discussion.

Later it was reported that French President Francois Hollande told his US counterpart Barack Obama on Sunday that "everything was consistent" with the conclusion that Damascus was behind last week's suspected chemical attack.

"The head of state condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and indicated that everything was consistent with designating the Damascus regime as the perpetrator of these unacceptable attacks," the French president's office said in a statement.

"The two presidents agreed to stay in close contact to arrive at a joint response to this unprecedented aggression," the statement said.(AFP/Web Desk)