KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer - AS a president who has strenuously campaigned against war, Mr Barack Obama must be praying, like Jesus Christ, to let this Syrian cup pass from him. In a sense, one can reasonably say that the bloody Syrian conflict, which has claimed an estimated 100,000 casualties since 2011, was bound to reach this crossroad. Last week's killing of hundreds of children using chemical weapons is hard for humanity -- and any president — to stomach. It seems to have constituted the straw that broke the camel's back. Reports suggest the United States is preparing to launch an attack on the Bashar al-Assad-led regime in Syria and that the military might of the US is awaiting the decision of President Obama. France and Britain also appear to be ready to join the US in any strike on Syria.