The U.S. now believes that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, pictured, has used chemical weapons against rebel forces, corroborating an earlier Israeli intelligence assessment. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Politico – President Barack Obama is stepping up aid to Syria’s rebels after concluding that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad used chemical weapons against rebels there, the White House said Thursday.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said in a statement that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that between 100 and 150 Syrians died from the chemical weapons use.

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