Obama plans rebel aid with Syria strikes, senators say

U.S. plans for strikes against Syria may be coupled with increased support for rebel forces in that country's civil war, two leading Republican senators said after meeting with President Barack Obama on Monday.

Obama met in the Oval Office with Sens. John McCain, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the White House said. After the meeting, McCain and Graham said the United States needs to help the rebels reverse battlefield gains by troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We still have significant concerns, but we believe there is in formulation a strategy to upgrade the capabilities of the Free Syrian Army and to degrade the capabilities of Bashar al-Assad," said McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The United States and several of its leading allies accuse al-Assad's forces of resorting to poison gas attacks against rebel forces and civilians, including an August 21 attack near Damascus the Obama administration says killed more than 1,400 people. Obama said Saturday that the use of chemical weapons is "a challenge to the world" that threatens U.S. allies in the region -- but he said he would seek the authorization of Congress before unleashing American force.

Is it 'High Noon' for Obama on Syria?

In a statement on the meeting, the White House said Obama "underscored that America is stronger when the president and Congress work together to stand up for our national interests." And the administration stepped up its efforts to win congressional authorization on Monday, with Secretary of State John Kerry telling Democratic lawmakers in a conference call that three Middle Eastern nations have offered the use of their military assets for action against Syria.

Those countries -- Turkey, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates -- are the first to do so, but other countries are expected to join them, Kerry said, according to two people who were on the call. Two senior Arab diplomats said talks with Saudi Arabia and the UAE are preliminary, and no details have been discussed.

Kerry said prospect of military strikes has resulted in about 100 defections from the Syrian military, according to the sources. A total of 127 House Democrats were on the call, a Democratic aide told.

But the tough sell for action was clear in the call. When Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said collateral damage from a strike is expected to be low, some lawmakers questioned how officials could know that.