A man mourns over the bodies of those killed in a suspected chemical weapon attack in a suburb of Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday, August 21. Syrian rebels said that poisonous gas rained down from rockets overnight, but authorities have denied the allegations that they used chemical weapons and accused the opposition of staging the attacks. U.S. officials, however, said there were "strong indications" that there was a chemical weapons attack by the government. 
People attend to the victims of the attack on August 21 in Damascus. British intelligence said at least 350 people died, while rebel leaders have put the death toll at more than 1,300. 
Constricted pupils was listed as a symptom in victims of the alleged attack on August 21. 
Victims of the attack are laid in the back of a truck in the Hamoria area of Damascus on August 21. 
A young survivor takes shelter in a mosque in the Duma neighborhood of Damascus on August 21. 
Victims are buried in a suburb of Damascus on August 21. 
People search for the dead to collect samples to check for chemical weapon use in the Zamalka area of Syria on Thursday, August 22. 
A group of young Salafists chants and waves black flags during a protest against the Egyptian and Syria regimes in the southern Gaza Strip on August 22. 
A young woman holds a Syrian revolution flag and a candle during a protest of President Bashar al-Assad in front of the U.N. headquarters in Gaza City on Friday, August 23. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon intends to conduct a "thorough, impartial and prompt investigation" into the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. 
Pigeons' bodies litter the ground in the Damascus suburbs of Arbeen on Saturday, August 24. 
Syrian soldiers are deployed in the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus on August 24. 
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks with the Russian newspaper Izvestia in Damascus, Syria, on Monday, August 26. He told the newspaper that Western accusations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons are an insult to common sense. 
Representatives of Arab countries discuss Syria at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, August 27. President al-Assad vowed to defend his country against any outside attack. "The threats of launching an aggression against Syria will increase its commitments," and "Syria will defend itself against any aggression," he said, according to Syrian state TV. 
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Should the West intervene in Syria? Tell us what you think.
(CNN) -- The world is waiting to see whether the United States will strike against the Syrian regime -- and whether anyone will join in.
U.S. President Barack Obama said there's no doubt Syria used chemical weapons on its own civilians and wants to launch attacks -- but he wants to get Congress' approval after lawmakers come back from recess September 9.
Meanwhile, a flurry of other developments has emerged. Here are the latest developments for Monday:
U.S. EFFORTS
-- Even if Obama gets Congress' approval to strike Syrian targets, he might still violate international law. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a president can initiate an attack as long as he notifies Congress within 48 hours. But that's a U.S. law. The United Nations' charter generally doesn't allow countries to attack other nations unless in self-defense or with approval from the U.N. Security Council -- neither of which is the case in Syria.
-- Congressional approval wouldn't solve the problem with international law, a senior administration official said, but it would enhance the legitimacy of military action.
INSIDE SYRIA
-- The Syrian regime has asked the U.N. chief to step in. "The Syrian government calls on the U.N. Secretary General to shoulder his responsibilities for preventing any aggression on Syria," the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported Monday.
-- On the ground, at least 118 people were killed across Syria on Sunday, including 13 children, the opposition group Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. The United Nations has said more than 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian crisis started two years ago.
INTERNATIONAL REACTION
-- The Chinese foreign affairs spokesman said China has noted the U.S. claim of chemical weapons evidence and said the United States has briefed China about the situation.
"We are gravely concerned that some country may take unilateral military actions," the Chinese foreign affairs spokesman, Hong Lei, said Monday. "We believe that any action taken by the international community should abide by the purposes and principles of the U.N. charter" and should avoid "bringing more disasters to the Middle East region."
When asked if China would possibly support sanctions against Syria, Hong said, "I think any action taken by the international community should be based on the results of relevant investigations. The results should tell us whether chemical weapons have been used and who used it. Based on (those) results, the international community can take actions."
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom, Saad Abedine, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Yousuf Basil, Josh Levs, Holly Yan, Dana Bash, Tom Dunlavey, Reza Sayah and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.
