U.S. plays down media report that chemical weapons used in Syria

WASHINGTON Jan 15 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday poured cold water on a media report that chemical weapons had been used in the Syrian conflict, but reiterated that if the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad did resort to chemical weapons, it will be held accountable.

"The reporting we have seen from media sources regarding alleged chemical weapons incidents in Syria has not been consistent with what we believe to be true about the Syrian chemical weapons program," said White House National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor in a statement.

The White House was responding to a report earlier on Tuesday in Foreign Policy magazine that the U.S. State Department had concluded the Syrian military likely used poison gas against its own people in a deadly attack last month.