US: Assad to Blame for Chemical Attack Even If He Didn’t Do It

Insists Commander in Chief Responsible for Anything That Happens

With increasing doubts about the US allegations of chemical weapons use by Syrian President Bashar Assad, officials have now insisted that it simply doesn’t matter, and they’re going to blame Assad no matter who did it.

“The commander in chief of any military is ultimately responsible for the decisions made under their leadership, even if he’s not the one that pushes the button or says Go on this,” insisted State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.

That could be a dangerous precedent for President Obama, if he was actually held accountable for everything done during his command. The problem is even bigger, however, as there’s evidence the rebels may have carried out the attacks.

That’s a big part of why the administration is rushing into this war, to avoid getting it preempted by any inconvenient “evidence.” Beyond that, the argument that the evidence doesn’t matter at all is getting more and more overt, with disturbing consequences.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.