CNN Exclusive: Israel Pursued Airstrike in Syria; Due to Syria's Use of Chemicals in Its Civil War?

Israel has conducted an airstrike in Syria -- perhaps targeting a chemical weapons building -- a U.S. official said today (May 3, 2013), according to an exclusive CNN website report.

CNN quoted two unnamed U.S. officials as saying Israel most likely conducted the strike yesterday or today, and that Israel's warplanes did not enter Syrian airspace; however, the U.S. collected information showing Israeli warplanes overflying Lebanon, Syria's neighbor.

A White House spokeswoman referred questions on the CNN report to the Israeli government. The Pentagon declined to comment, as did the Israeli government.

There has been much speculation in recent days of the likelihood of a U.S. or Israeli attack on Syria, because recent tests confirm that Syria used chemical weapons in its ongoing civil war against its rebels -- in effect, killing several of them -- a month or so ago. President Obama had said -- more than a year ago -- that if Syrian President Assad used chemical weapons against Syrian rebels, the U.S. would retaliate with military action.