President Obama warned Syria’s government on Monday, December 3 that it would be “totally unacceptable” to use chemical weapons against its own people and vowed to hold accountable anyone who did, as American intelligence officials picked up signs that such arms might be deployed in the ongoing insurgency, The New York Times reported. The White House said that some recent actions by the government of President Bashar Assad were indicators that Syrian forces were preparing to use such weapons, following earlier reports that intelligence agencies had noticed signs of activity at chemical weapons sites. Obama’s spokesman said the administration had “an increased concern” of possible use of chemical weapons. The administration has been preparing contingency plans that include the dispatch of tens of thousands of troops to secure such weapons, although it is not clear whether Obama would go that far.