US says weighing humanitarian aid to Syrian people

The United States is considering providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian people as Washington ramps up pressure on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the White House said on Tuesday.

"We are going to continue to work with international allies ... to put the pressure required," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters, reiterating that the Obama administration was not weighing the prospects of arming anti-government forces seeking to topple Assad. "We are exploring the possibilty of providing humanitarian aid to Syrians," he said. (Reuters)