Obama Talks Syria with EU Leaders ahead of G8

U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the Syria conflict with European leaders ahead of next week's G8 summit in Northern Ireland, the White House said Saturday.

Obama spoke late Friday with British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it said in a statement.

"The five leaders discussed Syria, including the regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people, and ways to support a political transition to end the conflict," the statement said.

"They also discussed Libya, our collective efforts to support Prime Minister (Ali) Zeidan, and the Libyan government's work to enhance security and advance the political transition," it said.

The call came after Washington said it had proof that Syrian government forces had carried out deadly chemical weapons attacks against rebels and the United States would be providing military support to the opposition.

The European Union lifted an embargo on arming the Syrian opposition last month, paving the way for greater Western support for rebels battling to oust President Bashar Assad in a civil war that has claimed 93,000 lives.

Obama will meet Merkel, Hollande, Cameron and Letta in person at the Group of Eight summit, which will be held Monday and Tuesday in Northern Ireland.