President Obama to Syria: Don't cross 'red line' – Jim Clancy on what this means for ongoing violence in the country

(CNN) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should heed U.S. warnings to neither use nor move chemical or biological weapons, lest he risk crossing a "red line" and provoke a U.S. military response, President Barack Obama said Monday.

"We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people," Obama told reporters at the White House. "We have been very clear to the Assad regime - but also to other players on the ground - that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized."

"That would change my calculus; that would change my equation."

Obama added that U.S. officials are monitoring the situation "very carefully" and have put together a number of contingency plans.

On "Early Start" this morning, Jim Clancy reports on what President Obama's warning means for the ongoing violence in Syria.

READ MORE: Obama warns Syria not to cross 'red line'