>> on the broadcast tonight the strongest casor on syria. the obama administration calling president assad a thug and murder for chemical attacks on his own people. secretary of state john kerry laying out the intelligence for a war-fatigued nation. >> some cite the risk of doing things, we need to ask, what is the risk of doing nothing? >> tonight, u.s. warships are in position. will the president give the order to strike? "nightly news" begins now. [ music playing ] . >> from nbc news world headquarters in new york. this is is nbc "nightly news"

with brian williams. >> i'm lester holt in for brian williams. the signal couldn't be clearer. the united states will not let the use of chemical weapons go unpunished. the president has not made a final course of action, but the case for a u.s. military attack was spelled out in no uncertain terms by secretary of state john kerry. like a prosecutor, making an impassioned closing argument to a jury, kerry today made a point by point assessment of the evidence of syria and warning of the consequences should the world turn a blind eye. kerry offered new details of the chemical attacks and the assad government's involvement based on evidence he said was clear and compelling. he said any u.s. military response would be limited in its scope without american boots on the ground and he revealed that more than 1,400 people had been killed in the chemical attack, including more than 400. here's how the secretary laid it

out for us today. >> our intelligence community has carefully reviewed and re-reviewed information regarding this attack and i will tell you it has done so more than mindful of the iraq experience. we will not repeat that moment. we know that the assad regime has the largest chemical weapons program in the entire middle east. we know that the regime has used those weapons multiple times this year. we know the syrian regime elements were told to prepare for the attack by putting on gas masks and taking precautions associated with chemical weapons. we know that these were specific destruction u instructions. we know rockets came only from regime-controlled areas and went

only to opposition controlled on contested neighborhoods. the united states government now knows that at least 1,429 syrians were killed in this attack, including at least 426. this is an indiscriminate, inconceivable horror or chemical weapons. this is what assad did to his own people. it matters that we choose to live in a world where a thug and a murderer like bashar al-assad can gas thousands of his own people with impunity, even after the united states and our allies said no. and then the world does nothing about it. there will be no end to the test of our resolve and the dangers that will flow from those others who believe that they can do as they will. now, we know that after a decade

of conflijt, the american people are tired of war. believe me, i am, too. but fatigue does not absolve us of our responsibilit and history would judge us all engs strord naerl harshly if we turned a blind eye to a dictator's wanton use of weapons of mass destruction against all warnings, against all common understanding of decency. these things we do know. >> secretary of state kerry in some of his bold case for military action in syria. our reporting team is in place tonight. first to nbc's chief correspondent andrea mitchell in our washington newsroom. andrea, after that speech, is there any turning back? >> reporter: there is not. before kerry's speech he was at the white house with the president, the other national security advisers talking about the intelligence. they say this is what is different the scale of the attack, the incredible number of

casualties you just saw, second, the size of the target area. this intelligence map shows 12 separate location that were hit. it is a highly coordinated attack. they had spy satellites tracking the rockets from government launchers to where they landed. finally, they say assad's command and control was established from those intercepted communications you heard about revealing they've prepared to use chemicals, commanders told their own troops to put on gas masks. a senior official is overheard telling troops to hide the evidence afterwards from the u.n. with all of that, they say, if this president did not act, it would just be inviting assad and others to again use chemicals. >> andrea mitchell. thank you. shortly after secretary kerry made those impassioned remarks, we heard from the president at the white house with a meeting with baltic leaders. >> part of our obligation and as a leader in the world is making

sure that when you have a regime that is willing to use weapons that are prohibited by international norms on their own people, including children, that they are held to account. >> the president earlier today further indication the u.s. is preparing to strike. though he emphasized any action would not involve u.s. troops on the ground. for the latest in what it would involve, we want to go to nbc's jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. what are you hearing at this hour? >> lester, the president hasn't made a decision, a final war plan is in place. u.s. military forces are ready to pull the trigger. five guided missiles already in the mediterranean. the primary target, command centers for syria's chemical weapons and their delivery system. rockets, artillery and airplanes. and tonight the amphibious ship antonio with 300 marines met on

standby for any possible emergencies. while no final decisions have been made the pre-planning for this operation is so far along that once the president gives the order, missiles could be in the air within minutes. lester. >> all right. jim. let go inside syria now. u.n. weapons inspectors scheduled to leave there tomorrow. people are bracing for a possible military strike as we hear tonight from bill neely in damascus. >> reporter: all day here in damascus, the sounds of explosions, syria's army keeps up its assaults on rebels in the suburbs, but they are braced here for explosions of a quite different kind, waiting for a u.s. military strike as u.n. capital weapons inspectors end their mission here. u.n. weapons inspector set off to try to prove chemical weapons were used in syria. a mission governments around the world are watching. but they went today not to the

site of the attacks to talk to those who had been targeted but to a syrian army hospital to interview soldiers. syria's government says the soldiers were victims of poison gases. as ever, the inspectors gave little away. >> why are you here? >> because of our investigation. >> reporter: they brought in medical equipment to take samples and took statements from at least five soldiers. the syrians refuse to allow journalists to talk to the troops. the inspectors will decide if a chemical attack happens here but not who did it. they've spent three days in the homes and streets where hundreds died and thousands were affected by what was clearly an extraordinary ar till ra barrage last week. the u.s. and many allies are convinced, syria's army was responsible, the government here blames rebels. on the capital streets today,

they are waiting for retaliation from the united states. today, all day, the smoke and noise of explosion in damascus. syria's army shelling suburbs ready, too, for retaliation. so, damascus tonight is tense, people here fearful, waiting for another twist in this two-year war. all eyes even here now on washington. back to you, lester. >> all right, bill neely in damascus. tonight, there are disturbing new reports of yet another atrocity, this one earlier this week against syrian civilians at a school and a warning once again, the pictures are difficult to watch. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel spoke with eyewitnesses, doctors who treated the wounded. he joins us again from the certain border.

richard. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the bbc was profileing two british doctors, volunteers, they've come to syria to try to help out. they ended up witnessing a horrific attack against civilians. as you said, these images are very disturbing. their pain was almost indescribable. flesh burned and peeling as they staggered into a hospital. >> just for a few seconds, he was sort of look around thinking what on earth is going on? it felt so apocalyptic in a way. >> reporter: dr. rula. she asked us not to use her last name, was as a clink near aleppo when a syrian government plane dropped something like napalm on a school. >> i mean, they're all children, they were all below 18-years-old. they're all kids. we were petrified. >> there was one boy i wouldn't forget. the only sign of life he had if you like was his eyes. >> reporter: she was the only other volunteer doctor.

she told us the most severely injured barely screamed. they just trembled like 15-year-old ahmed. >> he was being patient. i probably would be foul. >> reporter: the medics supplied a white cream to cool the skin. >> i didn't think that i'd be looking after and seeing such sights, involving people and children. >> reporter: incendiary weapons are generally not considered chemical weapons, but they are not intended to be used against civilians. >> i felt ashamed, but i couldn't speak to them in arabic. >> one of the girls, she was 16-years-old and when i went to see her later, her mom was wailing next to her and she told her mum to be quiet and she sort of took a deep breath and looked at me and just said, "do you

thinkpy fa-- think my surface going to be mutilated?" i said, "i don't know, i hope not." >> reporter: dr. rula said the young girl was studying at the school because she wanted to be a doctor like her. >> thank you. as the administration lays out the intelligence, a new poll shows americans are split. chuck todd joins us now from the white house with more on that. good evening, chuck. >> reporter: good evening, lester. it's a divided and scent wal public on the idea of using military force. we found a majority against using military action against syria. 50% being against it. when told that the military strike would only be cruise missiles, you saw a slight change where a majority then would favor that kind of action. now, there is no ambiguity from the public when it comes to how the president, when the president should go about doing

this. nearly 80% believe he should wait until congress approves whether or not to do a military strike before he goes alone on that front and speaking of the president, lester, his approval rating when it comes to the issue of syria is not good at all. on the issue of syria, just 35% approve of how he's handled this crisis so far, lester, it just tells you, he's got a lot of explaining to do, to the american public. >> chuck todd in the white house. thanks. there are a lot of questions tonight on what a u.s. strike on syria might involve and some of the risks involved. for more, let's bring in medal of honor recipient nbc news analyst jack jacobs. thank you for being here, jack. the administration laid out a moral justification for acting. in pure practical terms, what might be the advice the president is getting from generals about the downside to all this? >> when asked whether they will attack on the limited objectives, the answer will be, of course, we can. but they probably also offered

the following advice, it is not going to depose assad. it's not going to make him stop killing syrians. as a matter of fact, it may encourage him to view his being in a situation where he'll increase the attacks on his own people. i think their judgment will be that it has no strategic objective other than fulfilling the requirement that we said we were going to do it, so now we're going to do it. >> jack jacobs, i appreciate your analysis. thank you. when we come back, we'll talk exclusively with a man who until recently ran the pentagon. also, that huge fire on the west is having a bill impact in this last big weekend of summer. if you're living with moderate to severe crohn's disease, there are times it feels like your life revolves around your symptoms. if you're tired of going around in circles, get headed in a new direction, and ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab.

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. >> with the u.s. poised to punish syria without broad international support, former cia director and former secretary of defense leon panetta is telling nbc news they must act saying credibility is at stake. i spoke with panetta this afternoon without justification for any punitive attack. we have seen this movie before, the presentation of evidence of weapons of mass destruction. we know how iraq ended up. are you firmly committed to this intelligence in do you buy it? >> i do. i think the intelligence here is pretty clear. i recognize that the american people are exhausted by war. we all are. but at the same time, we

continue to have a responsibility to exercise leadership in the world. it would be nice if the u.n. acted. it would be nice if our allies acted. it would be nice if others were willing to take that action. but when that line has been drawn and action needs to be taken, then the united states ultimately has to do that for the sake of the world and for the sake of world peace. >> what's the best outcome of a u.s. military strike, in your view? >> if we do a limited and targeted attack that goes after his capabilities and that deters him from any further use that have hopefully can set the groundwork to be able to pursue a diplomatic strategy that can ultimately result in a negotiated settlement there. >> so what's the worst possible outcome of an attack in your view? >> i think the key here is to be able to make sure that the targets that we're going after are there. the intelligence is accurate with regards to where those

targets are and that we do an effective job of being able to destroy those targets. that's going to be a key. and if for any reason we fail to do that, then we're going to have to go back and make sure we do it. that's going to be the biggest challenge. >> former defense secretary leon panetta acknowledging a first round of strikes may not be enough. our entire conversation can be found on our website tonight. we are back in a moment with somest day's news, including the loss of a literary legend. relieving heartburn, caused by acid reflux disease, relief is at hand. for many, nexium provides 24-hour heartburn relief and may be available for just $18 a month. there is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. if you have persistent diarrhea, contact your doctor right away. other serious stomach conditions may exist. don't take nexium if you take clopidogrel. relief is at hand for just $18 a month. talk to your doctor about nexium.

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>> reporter: 30 miles from where the rim fire chews through forest land tonight, the historic town is safe but not out of danger. this unxhoot, a doorstep to i don't want national park is usually packed with tourists on labor day weekend. today, late speeches and businesses are deserted. the hotel charlotte is empty. the cancellation book is filling up. >> we've had over 130 cancellations here since the beginning of the fire. >> reporter: with road blocks shutting down access to rivers, stephen welsh worries his rafting business may go under. >> about 15% of our season was lost to the fires. >> reporter: still, these ladies were determined not to can sell a long-planned trek. >> the fire and smoke is not going to prevent us from doing anything. it's just fine. it's beautiful up here. >> reporter: but the monita fire is massive, growing as much as 3,000 acres an hour some days. the blaze is now up to over

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>> tonight as millions of americans ease into the last days of summer, we find ourselves in an uncomfortably familiar place. we have been here before as a nation, wondering if american forces are about to begin an attack in some far flung corner of the world. this time would be syria. no matter how or when the u.s. opts to respond, there will be strong reaction. our team is in place and will be closely monitoring this situation all weekend long. i will see you this evening on "dateline," and tomorrow on "today" and a reminder brian will be in this chair on tuesday. it's been a pleasure being here this month. i'm lester holt in new york. for all of us on nbc news, good night. [ music playing ]

>> la mar dui arres