The Obama administration is reportedly weighing a military attack on Syria following last week’s alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus. The Washington Post reports a U.S. strike on Syria would be of “limited scope and duration, designed to serve as punishment for Syria’s use of chemical weapons and as a deterrent, while keeping the U.S. out of deeper involvement” in Syria’s civil war. The potential strike would likely last no more than two days, The Washington Post says. The news comes as Secretary of State John Kerry opened the door to potential U.S. military action with a speech in Washington. Kerry said the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons is “undeniable,” and vowed an “informed” U.S. response.

Secretary of State John Kerry: “The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard, it is inexcusable, and despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable. And the president will be making an informed decision about how to respond to this indiscriminate use of chemical weapons. But make no mistake: President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people.”

The Obama administration is completing its own intelligence report on the alleged chemical attack on Ghouta as well as a legal justification for launching a military response. A U.S. official said the White House is “actively looking at the various legal angles that would inform a decision.” The United States has four Navy warships in the Mediterranean Sea with capacity to hit Syria with cruise missiles. As it mulls a potential military operation, the United States has also canceled a meeting with Russia this week on international peace talks for Syria. In a statement today, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned U.S. military intervention would have “catastrophic consequences” for the region.