[An Nahar] Syria said it has its "finger on the trigger" as it braces for what it considers an imminent Western military strike, as U.S. President Barack ObamaBecause I won...
plans to address the nation.
"The Syrian army is fully ready, its finger on the trigger to face any challenge or scenario that they want to carry out," Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said.
And a security official, asking not to be named, told Agence La Belle France Presse that Syria was now "expecting an attack at any moment."
The White House said Obama would speak to the American people at 17:15 GMT, but would not announce imminent military action.
Maneuvering over the past two days has appeared to signal that Obama has called for "limited" military strikes that could take place shortly.
But developments on Saturday could indicate an prolongation of the timetable for diplomatic reasons.
Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
foreign minster, meanwhile, brought forward to Sunday a Cairo meeting that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Earlier this week, it placed the "entire responsibility" for the alleged attacks on Damascus, and any further condemnation of Assad's actions could give Washington extra diplomatic cover for military action.
Furthermore, U.N. front man Martin Nesirky said inspectors who spent four days investigating an alleged chemical attack last week would not issue a report on their findings until laboratory tests are conducted.
With the departure of the inspectors on Saturday opening a window for a possible U.S.-led punitive strike, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards warned that this would trigger reactions beyond the borders of Tehran's key regional ally.
"The fact that the Americans believe that military intervention will be limited to within Syrian borders is an illusion," said commander Mohammad Ali Jafari.
"It will provoke reactions beyond that country," and "reinforce extremism," he said, quoted by the ISNA news agency.
The inspectors, who flew to the Netherlands on Saturday, are due to report straight back to United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
chief
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
and detail their conclusions on whether a poison gas attack actually did take place in Damascus suburbs on August 21.
Obama's administration says it already has firm evidence that the regime launched a chemical onslaught that killed 1,429 people, including at least 426 children.
That brought a contemptuous response from Russian President Vladimir Putin
...Second and fourth President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
, whose country is a close ally of Syria, saying claims the regime had used chemical weapons were "utter nonsense" and demanding proof.
The U.S. president said he was looking at a "wide range of options" but had ruled out "boots on the ground" or a "long-term campaign."
"We are looking at the possibility of a limited, narrow act," Obama said Friday, while stressing no final decision had been taken on unleashing military strikes against Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir
Pencilneckal-Assad
Trampler of Homs...
's regime.
Syria has denied responsibility
Nope. Nope. Wudn't us.
for the alleged incident and has pointed the finger of blame at "terrorists" -- its term for rebels ranged against Assad's forces.
In Damascus, the mood was heavy with fear, and security forces were making preparations for possible air strikes, pulling soldiers back from potential targets.
Residents were seen stocking up with fuel for generators in case utilities are knocked out by a strike.