Obama, Canada PM agree Syria chemical weapon use merits firm response

OTTAWA - Reuters

US President Barack Obama speaks at an event at Lackawanna College on Aug 23 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. AFP photo

U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday agreed that the use of chemical weapons in Syria merited a firm, effective and timely response from the international community, a spokesman for Harper said.

The two leaders talked amid mounting signs that Washington and its allies are edging toward a limited use of force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists in the wake of a poison gas attack last week that killed hundreds of civilians.

"Both leaders agreed that significant use of chemical weapons merits a firm response from the international community in an effective and timely manner," Harper spokesman Andrew MacDougall said in a statement.