No “final decision” yet on Syria response, White House says

President Trump has emerged from a meeting with his national security team without a “final decision” on how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria.

That’s after Mr. Trump said earlier this week that he would have a decision in a very short period of time.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Mr. Trump held a meeting Thursday afternoon with his team to discuss the situation. But she says, “No final decision has been made.”

Sanders added that U.S. officials are “continuing to assess intelligence” and are “engaged in conversations with our partners and allies.”

Mr. Trump is slated to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May Thursday evening.

Earlier this week, a missile launch on Syria seemed imminent. 

On Monday, Mr. Trump said a decision on how to respond to the attacks would come in “24 to 48” hours. On Thursday, Mr. Trump tweeted that missiles, “new” and “‘smart'” are coming.

But since then, Mr. Trump has backed off slightly, and rebuffed claims that he has given away the timetable on a Syria response — something he accused former President Barack Obama of doing.

Inspectors with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as of Thursday were on their way to Syria, and are scheduled to begin their work Saturday, further complicating the timing for any strike.