The suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria demands an international response but NATO will not take part, alliance head Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Danish media on Friday.

The suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria demands an international response but NATO will not take part, alliance head Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Danish media on Friday.

"I see no NATO role in an international reaction to the (Syrian) regime," Rasmussen told reporters in the Danish town of Vejle, daily Politiken reported.

He said the alleged use of chemical weapons was "a terrifying and horrible act. Chemical attacks are a clear violation of international standards -- a crime that can't be ignored."

"It demands an international response, so it doesn't happen again," Rasmussen said.

The NATO secretary general has in the past insisted on the need for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.