Syria wants U.N. weapons inspectors to stay longer; move could forestall U.S. military strike The Syrian government on Wednesday asked the United Nations to keep its team of weapons inspectors in Damascus beyond their Sunday deadline, a request that could complicate the timeline for a widely expected U.S. military strike. In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Syrian government claimed that rebels attacked Syrian forces with chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus on three days earlier this month. Syria's envoy to the United Nations said the agent used in the attack was "close to what we call the nerve gas sarin." U.S. officials, however, said Syria's allegations lack credibility. U.N. officials issued no immediate response to the Syrian letter, but Ban called Tuesday night for enough time for inspectors to complete their mission. "The use of chemical weapons by anyone, for any reasons, under any circumstances, would be an atrocious violation of international law," Ban said. It is essential to establish the facts. A United Nations investigation team is now on the ground to do just that. The inspectors have conducted two visits so far, including one Wednesday, to the site of the alleged chemical weapons attack last week. Syria is now pressing for the inspectors to visit other sites on the outskirts of Damascus. U.S. officials have expressed concern that Syria would attempt to extend the visit of the U.N. experts to forestall an attack, either by delaying inspection of the Damascus site or calling on the experts to examine sites where Syria claims its own forces were gassed. "We are concerned about the possibility that the Syrian government would seek to delay access and negotiate so as to seek to keep this [inspection] process going and avert the consequences," an administration official said before the latest Syrian request. The report, being compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is one of the final steps that the administration is taking before President Obama makes a decision on a U.S. military strike against Syria, which now appears all but inevitable.