Syrians in Damascus and elsewhere are preparing for a possible US strike. UN weapons inspectors spent a third day investigating the Aug. 21 chemical attack; they plan to complete work in Syria on Friday. President Assad vowed that Syria would “defend itself against any aggression.” A US naval destroyer moved closer to Syria amid talk of an imminent US strike on regime targets. Russia is sending two ships to the east Mediterranean. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is forcing captured Syrian Kurds to “repent.” Kurdish forces in Hasakah province continued to clash with ISIL, the Al Nusrah Front, and rebels; ISIL has been attacking Kurdish checkpoints with suicide bombs.
