When To Strike: Tense Decisions for Obama on Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — While a U.S.-led military strike in Syria appears all but inevitable, President Barack Obama faces some potentially awkward decisions about when to act.

Wednesday might be uncomfortable. That's when Obama pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and the nonviolent leader's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Thursday, Britain's prime minister will convene an emergency Parliament meeting where lawmakers may vote to clear the way to respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack that Britain and the U.S. blame on Syria.

That vote could mark the start of short window before Obama begins an overseas trip Tuesday that will take him away from the White House for days.

Would Obama want to be overseeing a military operation from Sweden? Or from Russia, which vigorously opposes action against Syria?