By October, it had zoomed past Cleveland more than 100 miles to the east and penetrated the lake's central basin, where decomposed algae had already created an oxygen-deprived "dead zone" lethal to most fish and other aquatic organisms.

WSJ: Report predicts ever-bigger Lake Erie algae blooms

Robert Menendez, the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said options included "an internationally recognised no-fly zone, providing lethal assistance to vetted opposition forces, and sanctioning the transfer of arms to the regime".

BBC: US has 'some confidence' Syria used chemical weapons