The United States could attack targets in Syria as early as Thursday, this week.  Those attacks could involve cruise missiles or long-range bombers, and could last three days.

“We are prepared, we have moved assets in place to be able to fulfill and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take, if he wishes to take any of the options he's asked for,” US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the BBC.

Any US action would be a reprisal for the purported chemical attacks east of Damascus from last week in which at least 355 Syrians were killed among the 1,600 affected.  Even though the United Nations weapons inspectors haven’t finished their work investigating, let alone a similar incident on 19 March at Khan al-Assal which they were actually sent there to look into, US Vice President Joe Biden said the US believes the Assad regime is gassing its own people.

“No one doubts that innocent men, women and children have been the victims of chemical weapons attacks in Syria, and there's no doubt who's responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria: the Syrian regime,” Mr. Biden said.

Four US Navy Destroyers are in position for any attack, joined by a Royal Navy Trafalgar class submarine in the Mediterranean to fire Tomahawk cruise missile at Syrian military targets.