Syria: The drums of war

We examine whether the West has a mandate for military intervention in Syria.

Weighing up military options against Syria, the United States has given its strongest response yet to a suspected gas attack that killed hundreds of civilians last week. The White House insists there is little doubt President Bashar al-Assad is responsible, with the US government describing the suspected chemical weapons attack as a "moral obscenity" that is "inexcusable" and "undeniable".

"What is the objective of the intervention of the West? Is it to get rid to Bashar al-Assad? Or is it to help Syrians to achieve democracy and freedom? Or is just because Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons? There should be [an] investigation and tangible evidence that the regime has used chemical weapons; [they should] not base their claims on YouTube videos that have not been verified.” Halla Diyab, a spokesperson for the Organisation for Freedom and Democracy in Syria