Using chemical weapons is a risky move. So why did Syria use sarin?
Last week’s sarin attacks by the Syrian government against civilian targets in Khan Sheikhoun, and the subsequent U.S. retaliatory missile strikes against a Syrian air base, raise many new questions about Syria’s six-year civil war.
Much of this coverage has focused on implications for the future of U.S. policy. But there’s another big question: Why would Syrian President Bashar al-Assad use chemical weapons — and risk international condemnation and retaliation?
Assad has been the dominant force in the Syrian civil war, which has cost more than 400,000 Syrian lives. The opposition is increasingly fragmented and the Syrian government has for the most part held tightly to the reins of power using conventional weapons.… Seguir leyendo »