Wilkie urges Australian caution on Syria

It is yet to be confirmed that the Syrian Assad regime is responsible for a deadly gas attack and Australia shouldn't rush to join international moves against the administration, federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie says.

The Hobart-based politician, with a lengthy military and intelligence background, on Tuesday spoke out against Australia taking sides as western leaders consider action in response to last week's attack.

"I'm actually sceptical about some of these claims ... we need to be careful who we back too. About half of the anti-Assad groups are either jihadist or clearly Islamic State or associated with Islamic State. It's an absolute quagmire, we shouldn't have gone in the first place and we shouldn't be there now and we shouldn't be taking sides in this current mess," he told ABC Radio.