"We weren’t able to get congressional approval for that authorization of force, and even if we had, it is arguable that the action that we undertook with Russia’s assistance in this case was far more effective in actually removing these kind of chemical weapons from the battlefield, and airstrikes would have been limited in the effect they would have had on destroying these stockpiles," Toner told reporters.
On Thursday, the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), established by the UN Security Council, released its fourth report on the investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria.
The report claimed that the Syrian government repeatedly and systematically used chemical weapons in the country in 2014 and 2015.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday the accusations lacked convincing facts.
Moreover, the US welcomes any pause in the violence in the Syrian city of Aleppo, US Department of State deputy spokesperson Mark Toner told reporters on Friday after Russian President Vladimir Putin said the humanitarian pause in Aleppo should be extended.
"Of course, any pause in the attacks that have been carried out on Aleppo in the past months is a good thing for the people in Aleppo," Toner said. "We hope to see that continue."
