[Costello:] As I mentioned before the break, the United States is the moving some of its military assets in the Mediterranean Sea. Our Pentagon reporter Barbara Starr knows all about it. Tell us, Barbara.
[Barbara Starr, Cnn Pentagon Correspondent:] Good morning, Carol. U.S. military officials say that one of the five Navy destroyers that's been in the eastern Mediterranean for several days. Now headed home. Its crew returning to its home port. They say this is not a big deal, they've got to get the crew home. They still have four missile equipped ships in the Eastern Med and they are ready to go if the order from the president comes. But what is ready to go really mean right now? Well, the Syrian regime, another U.S. official tells us, is moving its own weapons, its own material and troops around inside Syria a great deal, a good deal of disbursal of Syrian forces are being noticed by U.N. intelligence satellites flying overhead. That means targeting has to be redone. And it is now, we are told, a continuous process. Updating the targeting, sending those satellite targets to the missiles. The U.S. missiles on those Navy ships. So if the order comes, they will be ready to go. The strategy the U.S. thinks that the Syrians are engaging in is to disperse their forces and keep them dispersed in anticipation of a U.S. attack but the Pentagon says U.S. military officials say they can deal with that. They will keep reprogramming the targets into the missiles ready to go whenever President Obama orders a strike. That is what the U.S. military will tell Congress today Carol.
[Costello:] Is it possible to completely hide, let's say, the chemical weapons that are in Syria?
[Starr:] Well, you raise a very good point. The two biggies, if you will, the chemical stockpiles, will the U.S. know exactly where those are? They don't want to hit the chemical agents because that could disburse into the atmosphere and cause a real catastrophe so they've got to keep on top of that. They are worried that they will know where all of that is. And, of course, the other issue, as this retargeting happens, human shields, civilian casualties. They need to make sure as much as they can that they will not inadvertently strike any target with human shields or civilians. The Pentagon is going to tell Congress that they are going to put the burden of that right back on the al-Assad regime. That it's going to be their responsibility to keep their chemical weapons and their people safe. We will see how all that works out.
[Costello:] I know, because, you know, the big worry is they'll hide these chemical weapons inside of schools and mosques. Who knows? Who knows at this point.
[Starr:] Well, that's I just want to add very quickly, Carol, what you said is just exactly right. We have seen this in Iraq. We have seen it in other areas around the world. When these critical targets, these critical things are hidden in schools and mosques, hospitals, which the U.S. has a policy of not striking, this becomes a very difficult targeting issue as the days go on. People will be watching very carefully to see if the Assad regime undertakes this strategy that we have seen so many times around the world already.
[Costello:] Sadly, yes. Barbara Starr reporting live from the Pentagon. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.