Hagel said on Sunday that President Barack Obama should choose to exercise any of the military options.

"President Obama has asked the Defense Department to prepare options for all contingencies. We have done that and we are prepared to exercise whatever option - if he decides to employ one of those options," Hagel told reporters during a trip to Malaysia.

The Pentagon chief also said on Friday that the United States was positioning naval forces and assets in case President Barack Obama decides to order a military strike against Syria.

The US Department of Defense has resorted to the recent allegation over the use of chemical weapons in Syria to justify possible military attack against the Arab nation.

Syrian government has been investigating reports of an alleged chemical attack in which the opposition claimed that around 1,300 people were killed and the Syrian army was responsible for it.

The Syrian government and army have strongly rejected the claims.

A team sent by the United Nations is also set to investigate the latest claim of chemical weapons use outside Damascus.

The US however has not waited for an investigation on the case which its dimensions remain foggy and has voiced its readiness to launch military attack on Syria which Washington had postponed until a chemical attack was carried out in Syria.

Despite killing of at least 100,000 people in the massive foreign-backed insurgency in Syria, US had withheld a military intervention which they claim could be solution to the crisis, until a chemical attack was carried out, if any.

Pentagon has moved its naval forces closer to Syria and Hagel has been affirming readiness to act on Obama’s command.

The war in Syria started in March 2011, when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional states.

More than 100,000 people have died in the foreign-hatched insurgency and millions have been displaced.

NTJ/SHI