Gregory Djerejian rightly requests “hard confirmation” on who used chemicals weapons in Syria:

[W]e require conclusive proof of the origins of the attack, beyond horrific footage of the grisly aftermath. After all, this speaks only to something horrible having happened, as did reports by respected NGOs like Doctors Without Borders (MSF), but it does not firmly evidence regime culpability. Similarly, sarin samples obtained from first responders proves the existence of said neurotoxic agent on the scene, but not necessarily who delivered it, precisely how, and exactly where.

After the Iraq fiasco, we need to ensure that we do not simply “trust” the guarantees of our democratic leaders and the security state that is feeding them intelligence:

[W]e have no choice but to reckon that we labor under the legacy of the terrible blunder that was the ginned-up intelligence that caused trillions of dollars wasted, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, thousands of American ones, the epic disgraces of Abu Ghraib, and such grievous harm dealt the United States’ global repute. We must recall all this was premised on lies. So, like it or not, evidentiary hurdles moving forward must be higher.

Amen.

(Photo: A photo of alleged chemical weapons victims in Syria is seen before a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on September 3, 2013. US Secretary of State John Kerry, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel appeared before the committee to present the Obama Administration’s views on Congressional authorization for the use of military force in Syria. By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)