The United States President Barack Obama has formally asked the US Congress to authorise military action in Syria.
But Congress will not be able to consider his request until its next session beginning on 9 September.
Correspondents say Mr Obama wants the people - and politicians - on his side, but it's not clear what he'll do if Congress votes against an attack.
Two days ago British lawmakers voted against taking part in military action, and Germany has also ruled it out.
France has pledged backing for US military intervention - but opinion polls say 64% of French people are opposed.
Mr Obama says it's important to debate the matter.
"This morning I spoke with all four congressional leaders and they've agreed to schedule a debate and then a vote as soon as Congress comes back into session.
"While I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific congressional authorisation, I know that the country will be stronger if we take this course and our actions will be even more effective."
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has confirmed the Senate will vote on a resolution authorising military force against Syria no later than the week of 9 September.
Dr Kenneth Katzman, who analyses American policy in the Middle East for members of Congress, says the outcome of the vote isn't clear cut.
"Historically the Congress has tended to support this type of action, support presidential authority. Certainly there was broad support for going into Afghanistan and even the Iraq authorisation got broad support in Congress.
"But in this case the rebel factions that are associated with radical Islam and al qaeda, I think, puts a brake on people wanting to get involved."
A spokesperson for the opposition Syrian National Coalition says it's disappointed the military action has been deferred, but others in Damascus have expressed relief that a US attack isn't imminent.
Could happen tomorrow, next week or in the near future - Obama
Earlier Mr Obama said he had decided the US should take military action against targets associated with the Syrian regime.
The action is in response to the chemical attack the US says Syrian Government forces launched against civilians in Damascus last week, killing more than 1400 people.
Mr Obama has said he will not wait for a resolution from the United Nations Security Council, which has been deadlocked over the crisis.
He says the military operation will be limited in scope and could happen tomorrow, next week or in the near future.
In a statement delivered outside the White House, he said the Syrian chemical attack is an assault on human dignity and presents a serious danger to US national security.
He says he is confident in the case the US has made, without waiting for United Nations weapons inspectors to report on the attack.
Mr Obama says the United States cannot and must not turn a blind eye to what happened in Damascus.
The Syrian Government says its armed forces are on full alert and ready to face any potential foreign attack.
Syrian state television has quoted Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi as saying troops have their finger on the trigger and are prepared for any challenge.
Troops and equipment have already been moved out of key locations that could be hit.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose MPs rejected two days ago a government motion to take part in a military strike, has signalled his support for Mr Obama in a tweet saying he understood the US President's position on Syria.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged the United States on Saturday to present evidence to the United Nations that Syrian regime forces attacked rebels with chemical weapons.
Mr Putin said it would be utter nonsense for the Syrian Government to provoke opponents with such attacks when it is in a position of strength.
"I'm convinced this is just a provocation by those who want to pull other countries into the Syrian conflict," he said.
Inspectors return
United Nations experts have arrived in the Netherlands with evidence gathered in their investigation of the poison gas attack.
They had flown from Beirut after crossing the border into Lebanon by road earlier in the day, Reuters reports.
The 20-member team had arrived in Damascus three days before the 21 August attack to investigate earlier accusations of the use of chemical weapons.
They visited the sites of the most recent attack several times, taking blood and tissue samples from victims in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus and from soldiers at a government hospital.
The BBC is reporting that the samples were transported in containers secured with a fibre optic seal to avoid contamination or interference.
The analysis is expected to be conducted and cross-checked by two or three different laboratories.
The inspectors' mandate is to determine if chemicals were used, not who used them.
NZ a small player
A professor specialising in international relations says New Zealand won't be able to influence Australia on any United Nations Security Council response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Australia assumes the presidency of the Security Council on Monday and the Labour Party says New Zealand should use its close relationship with the country to suggest alternative strategies in Syria.
Professor Robert Ayson, a senior fellow at Australian National University and a lecturer at Victoria University, says New Zealand is a small fish in a big pond.
He says even Australia is not big enough to battle the major players like China and Russia.
Professor Ayson says Australia is also too tied up with its own election campaign.
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is advising people against traveling to Syria for any reason due to the civil war.
