US trying to 'nail down facts' of Syrian chemical weapons use

U.S. intelligence is trying to 'nail down the facts' about reports of a large-scale chemical weapons attack inside Syria by the Assad regime.

Some of those reports cite mass casualties that range from 1,000 to as many as 1,800 Syrian civilian deaths.

State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters at the State Department's daily briefing that the most recent estimates they have seen range from a thousand to 1800, which is obviously big.

According to ABC News, Psaki said U.S. intelligence is taking the lead in trying 'to nail down the facts' for the U.S. Government.

She said President Barack Obama has directed the U.S. intelligence community to urgently gather additional information and that is their focus.

She added that the intelligence has been unable to conclusively determine that chemical weapons were in fact used.