President Obama (Lucien Dalarun, Creative Commons)

The Syrian government is facing claims that they used the chemical weapons this past week in a suburb in Damascus. The government, however, denied using them and said that rebel forces have done the same. Hundreds of people were reportedly killed during Wednesday's attack, and Syria's state-run television reported that they believe terrorists were the ones who used the chemical weapons in that area.

The White House stated that Obama will make a decision once the U.S. can confirm that Syria did indeed use chemical weapons. Pulling American troops out of Syria is not being considering an an option by the White House at this time.

"Once we ascertain the facts, the president will make an informed decision bout how to respond," a White House official anonymously told CNN. "We have a range of options available, and we are going to act very deliberately so that we're making decisions consistent with our national interest as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria." 

MORE: Too Little, Too Late For Syria

Obama had previously met with national security officers earlier this week at the White House during the President's bus tour through New York and Pennsylvania regarding education.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday that if Syria's government did use chemical weapons, the U.S. would need to respond quickly to ensure against another possible attack. 

Reach Executive Producer Max Meyer by email and on Twitter at @trojanmax12.