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This is an excellent Summary of Syrian Chemical Attacks since 2012. Many question why we are involved at all. I believe that Assad chose this moment because of the meeting of Putin, Rhouhani and Erdogan on April 4th, where they decided to carve up Syria for their own purposes. Read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iran-russia-and-turkey-meet-over-syrias-future-as-trump-mulls-troop-withdrawal/2018/04/04/c607e27c-3770-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html?utm_term=.031317c1cffb. Trump had just announced his intention to leave the conflict, so Assad assumed that the Iran, Russia and Turkey Partners would take advantage of it. Therefore, he decided on another chemical attack to make this focus on paying him off by protecting him militarily and giving him $400 Billion to rebuild. Tass reported "About $400 bln required to restore Syria's economy, Assad says." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey/turkeys-erdogan-welcomes-western-attack-on-syria-says-operation-a-message-to-assad-idUSKBN1HL0W9. The Western response was an extremely measured one, but I believe that Assad is so desperate to save his regime that he will try to provoke another response as soon as he can. I believe that action was necessary to stop the establishment of a Russian-Iranian Shield from Lebanon to Afghanistan from becoming entrenched. Otherwise, if we do nothing, wait until the Iranians have nuclear weapons and be forced to destroy them totally. That was the thinking of the Western Response. We will see if their plan works or not, very soon.

I believe that action was necessary to stop the establishment of a Russian-Iranian Shield from Lebanon to Afghanistan from becoming entrenched. Otherwise, if we do nothing, wait until the Iranians have nuclear weapons and be forced to destroy them totally. That was the thinking of the Western Response.

If that's true then they should SAY that is the reason, clearly showing how we are dealing directly with an imminenet threat to the U.S., not some sort of "moral" obligation to punish "bad leaders" within their own sovereign nation.