The U.S. and Turkey are stepping up planning to deal with emergency scenarios that may arise in Syria, including the possible use of chemical weapons, as fighting between government troops and rebels intensifies. Senior diplomats, military and intelligence officials from the U.S. and Turkey met in Istanbul on Thursday to go over detailed operational plans for a range of contingencies, the State Department said. In addition to responding to the potential use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad's regime and securing them once he is out of power, the officials focused on short-term aid for Syrian refugees and how to assist whatever government that follows in maintaining law and order, the department said. The meeting was the first of a new U.S.-Turkish working group aimed at coordinating Syria policy.