The White House is waiting for word from President Obama on whether to launch strikes against Syria, amid warnings against intervention from Assad regime-backing nations Russia and China.
If given the green light from the Commander in Chief, the U.S. is "ready" to move into Damascus, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who spoke with BBC.
"We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfill and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," Hagel stated to the British news service.
Hagel's comments came just one day after Secretary of State John Kerry said that UN chemical weapons inspectors found "undeniable" evidence that the Assad regime used chemical weaponry against civilians and rebel forces, killing more than a hundred Syrians last week.
Meanwhile, Syria's main allies Russia and China have increased warnings against putting boots on the ground in the Middle East. Officials in Moscow said any Western intervention would have "catastrophic consequences" for the region.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said that the international community must exhibit "prudence" on the crisis.
"Attempts to bypass the Security Council, once again to create artificial, groundless excuses for a military intervention in the region are fraught with new suffering in Syria and catastrophic consequences for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa," he said in a statement.
According to the BBC, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem stated that he "utterly and completely" rejects claims that the Syrian Regime used chemical weapons on civilians.
He also joined his ally countries in warning the West against moving forward to Damascus, saying that Syria is "not easy to swallow."
"We have the materials to defend ourselves," he cautioned at a press conference on Tuesday. "We will surprise others."
It seems Britain-one of the U.S.' main military allies, along with France-is considering intervention as well, as Prime Minister David Cameron brought British legislators out of their summer recess on Tuesday to discuss potentially moving into the Middle East.
According to the Los Angeles Times, both Britain and France have been blunt about their displeasure with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, especially given the most recent alleged chemical attacks.
President Obama said that the U.S. will only intervene in Syria if the international community agrees on a plan that stays within the lines of global legislation.
