Obama set to arm Syrian rebel forces

The United States is considering a no-fly zone in Syria, potentially its first direct intervention into the two-year-old civil war, Western diplomats said, after the White House said Syria had crossed a “red line” by using nerve gas.

After months of deliberation, President Barack Obama’s administration said it would now arm rebels, having obtained proof the Syrian government used chemical weapons against fighters trying to overthrow president Bashar al-Assad.

Two senior Western diplomats said Washington is looking into a no-fly zone close to Syria’s southern border with Jordan.