ROME (AP) Italian Premier Enrico Letta says his country "understands" why the United States and France are considering military action against Syria's regime for a suspected chemical weapons attack.
But Letta reiterated Saturday that Italy "cannot participate" in military intervention in Syria without backing from the United Nations.
He said in a statement that Italy "will do everything to find a political solution" to the Syrian civil war when it participates at the Group of 20 summit in Russia next week.
Letta said Italians are deeply disturbed by the recent images of victims of the alleged chemical weapons attack in suburbs of Damascus on Aug. 21.
He said the international community is experiencing "difficult moments" while trying to decide an appropriate response aimed at preventing such attacks in the future.
