U.S. officials say Russian inaction enabled Syria chemical attack

FILE PHOTOS: A combination photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) in Washington, U.S., April 3, 2017 (L) and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in a handout picture taken January 8, 2015 by Syria's national news agency SANA. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (L) and SANA/Handout via Reuters/File photos - RTX34H7O

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top aides to President Donald Trump demurred on Sunday over where U.S. policy on Syria was headed after last week's retaliatory missile strike, leaving open questions about whether removing Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from power was now one of Trump's goals.

After the United States launched cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base alleged to have launched a deadly poison gas attack on Syrian civilians, Trump administration officials said they were prepared to take further actions if necessary.