President Barack Obama has been showing an officially-verified collection of 13 graphic videos to lawmakers that depict the horrors of the chemical gas attacks in Syria in behind-closed-door briefings - as he lobbies to win approval for his plan to use military force against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
So far, support for the president's plan has been sparse, with even fellow Democrats opposing the use of military force in Syria. He is preparing a media blitz for Monday and promised Americans in his weekly address on Saturday that 'This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan.'
CNN first obtained the official White House collection of 13 videos showing the carnage of the August 21 chemical weapons attack near the rebel stronghold of Demascus.
The Obama administration told lawmakers in the Senate Intelligence Committee - which last week approved plans to attack Syria - that the videos' authenticity has been verified by the intelligence community.
Many of the videos shown to senators can be found on Youtube. But what makes this footage unique is the fact that it has been verified by intelligence officials.
The videos show the panic that set in as people began experiencing the effects of chemical nerve agents, specifically sarin gas, which can cause convulsions, respiratory failure and ultimately death.
In one of the more heartbreaking videos, a room is full of what appear to be the lifeless bodies of dozens of children. In another, men are seen foaming at the mouth and having convulsions.
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